Son of Krypton
by Michael Smitherman
Summary: This is a novelization of the life of Clark Kent and how he became the Man of Tomorrow that I wrote when I was fourteen. I hope you all enjoy this.
1. Escape From Krypton

**Chapter 1**

 **Escape from Krypton**

Off in the distant cosmos was a green light. This place was the most scientifically and politically advanced in the galaxy.

The place's name was Krypton.

Over a course of centuries, this planet became one of the most influential civilizations in the galaxy. Not only did it have superior technological and social achievements, it also had a beautiful landscape that you wouldn't find on any other planet. The red sun burned bright, and the land was inhabited by the most interesting wildlife in the universe. It was the place to be.

If only anyone knew the planet would be so short lived.

It was mid-morning when the last Kryptonian birth happened. He was born to the only two people on Krypton who knew the planet's fate, scientists Jor-El and Lara Lor Van.

This child's name was Kal-El.

Kal-El started to cry along with his parents when he was born. He had black hair like his mother and blue eyes and facial features like his father.

"Kal-El," Jor-El said with pride and sadness.

"It's interesting, knowing we would get to see him grow up if anyone would just listen to us," Lara said as she cradled Kal-El.

"I know," Jor said. "I can remember it as if it were yesterday..."

Eight months ago, Jor-El was standing at the Kryptonian Council, as they waited to hear what he had to say.

"Over the course of billions of years, our planet's core has grown unstable from the buildup of pressure," he started.

"Go on," said the Head of the Council of Krypton rather boringly. He was an older man with grey hair and a black suit.

"What I am saying, is that we only have a few months until this planet ceases to exist, unless we do something about it right now," said Jor-El.

"Most of our experts say we have centuries before we have to worry about that," the Council Head said.

"My readings at first had a hard time picking the exact pressure up," Jor-El said. "And I'm sure that's what's going on with everyone else's devices."

"I see." He gave a slight smirk. "Jor-El, son of one of the greatest scientists ever to live on this planet, and redeemer of the House of El, is making a fool of himself just to get attention-"

"I am not trying to get attention! I'm trying to save Krypton!" Jor-El exclaimed. "And we're all doomed if we don't do something about it right now!"

"We are in the middle of a war between New Genesis and Apokolips. We have to house refugees, not to mention help the Corps," the Council Head continued. "I'm afraid we don't have time for this nonsense."

This is when Jor lost all faith in his planet's leaders. "You'll be sorry you didn't listen to me," he stated. And with that, he left the Kryptonian council, all the way to his home where his wife had just gotten back from an expedition in space. It was then when she said some odd news.

Lara was sitting there, in a white gown, with mixed expressions on her face. Jor noticed.

"Lara, what is wrong?"

"How do I say this?" She started.

"Please, tell me."

She then let out a phrase that no woman on Krypton would think they would have to say. "I'm pregnant."

Jor was confused about this. That word is practically dead. There hasn't been any

recorded "natural" birth on Krypton in years. The law had forbid it, with the purpose being to insure a child's "perfection." The couple had never quite agreed with it before, and they surely didn't right now, either.

He was just silent. She was, as well. What would happen if the Council found out? Well, they knew exactly what would happen. It has happened many times before, which is taking the life of a potential person for no reason other than the possibility of birth defects. That thought didn't please them. Yes, they had wanted to have children since they married, however they weren't quite ready yet. But they weren't prepared to have it ripped out without their consent, either.

"What are we going to do?" Jor asked. Then he remembered something.

"Lara, I'm sorry, but I have some worse news."

She appeared shocked.

"Listen, you know that Krypton, according to my readings, has only about a year left?"

"Yes. How did the meeting at the council go?"

"They didn't listen. I tried, and I will keep trying. But it might be too late."

Time after time Jor-El would go back to the Kryptonian Council, only to get the same answer. It was becoming more and more concerning over time that no one was doing anything about it. Eventually, there came to be one conclusion. He and Lara knew that they would only have a few months left, and with Lara expecting a baby in coming months, they agreed on one thing: they were going to get their son off this planet.

They had spent the previous weeks constructing a space pod about six feet long and four feet wide. This was not easy, as not only did Lara have to stay in their home at all times, they had to be smart as to getting the materials. It was made of some of the strongest metal on Krypton and was soft and cozy on the inside with a feeding tube.

They also decided a planet, the closest one to Krypton with a suitable environment, roughly 150 light years away. They were aware of the risks of sending him to Earth. It was forbidden by galactic law for Kryptonians to live anywhere near a yellow star. But they didn't care. Luckily, Jor-El and Lara were both very educated on warping. There was also a breech not too far away from their planet.

"Will it last until Earth?" Lara asked.

"Yes. It is designed to last for months, but we only need a few weeks," Jor-El replied.

"How long do we have to see him?" asked Lara, still holding Kal-El in her arms as tightly as she could.

"A few hours," he answered. "And we have to hurry." He was about to ask her to help him, but remembered her condition. Exhausted was not a strong enough word.

It was difficult. They didn't have the advanced tools to mount a pod, as they were technically acting outside of Kryptonian law. They only wished they could go with their son.

Hours passed, and the time was near. They were kneeling beside Kal-El, teary-eyed. This was it. This was the last time they would see their son or each other.

"It's funny, isn't it," Lara began. "That one of the top civilizations can crumble so easily? Over one little thing?"

"I know," Jor-El said. Anger was in his next words. "If only they would have listened to me!"

"You can't do anything now."

"We both know that, but-," Jor-El broke off. "But think what would have happened if we could get to know our son…"

They were both nearly crying now. They were running out of time, they needed to say their goodbyes.

"Goodbye my son," Jor-El coughed out. "Our hopes and dreams lie with you."

Lara was now sobbing. She managed to let out "do you think he'll be an outcast on Earth? A freak? They might hurt him."

"How would they? He'll be a god to them."

And with one last glance at their son, they put him in the pod, and pushed the launch button.

The pod had just got past the stratosphere when the ground started to shake.

And so came the end to the planet once known as Krypton.


	2. The Kents

**Chapter 2**

 **The Kents**

It was late afternoon. Cattle were grazing, and all was still in Smallville, Kansas.

"What's for dinner, Honey?" Jonathan asked.

"Mainly mashed potatoes," Martha said. "How was work today?"

"Good. Higher sales than normal," replied Jonathan. "It seems like we're getting to be more popular."

Jonathan and Martha Kent were two farmers living in the rural town of Smallville, Kansas. Both were in their mid-thirties and made a living by selling their crops.

Martha had a light complexion and medium-length auburn hair. She was good at farming and had a heart of kindness for most people. Jonathan was rather tan and had dark brown hair. He was very motivating and did all he can to keep the family in business.

The two had met on a cruise tour of the Bahamas in their late twenties. Instantly, they were attracted to one another. They asked each other out only mere days after meeting, and after ten months of dating, on a trip in Metropolis, Jonathan bent down on one knee with the ring in his hand. She immediately accepted. The two had been living a happy life ever since. If only Martha hadn't been diagnosed as infertile a few months back.

"So how are the crops on a spring day like this?" Jonathan asked.

"Good. Less erosion than others."

"That's great. Like I said, there seem to be more customers than usual. I think we're getting better ratings as well. Soon enough, we might be the top seller in town."

"Don't get too ahead of yourself," said Martha.

"How's Diane's daughter?" Jonathan asked. "Still sick?"

"Yes. She told me she was getting better though," Martha replied. "But measles at such a young age, that must be a challenge."

After a moment's silence, Martha asked, somewhat eagerly, "So how is the adoption going?"

"Nowhere. There's only one orphanage in a city near us, and it would take a long time and effort for the adoption papers," said Jonathan. There always seemed to be a depression in the air whenever this topic sprang up. If only there was an easier way. They might as well have given up on taking a child in at this point.

After dinner was over, wanting to lighten the mood, Martha asked, "Want to watch a movie?"

"Sure," said Jonathan.

They watched a favorite of theirs, Gone with the Wind, for what seemed like the hundredth time. The film quality was rather bad though, after watching it so many times, but they enjoyed it nonetheless.

After the movie was over, Martha suggested they go to bed. "It is getting rather late."

"I'm right behind you," Jonathan said.

It was two o'clock A.M. All was sound and there wasn't a loud noise in reach. All

Was quiet until-

BOOM!

The couple instantly sprang to wake at the sound of this.

"What the heck was that?!" Jonathan exclaimed. "It sounded like something crashed in the garden."

"Get up. We're going to see what damage it caused."

They stepped outside their cabin and neared the place where they thought it had crashed. There seemed to be a trail of smoke in the distance. They prayed that none of the crops had been destroyed, or better yet, that nobody got hurt. They kept going for about a quarter of a mile, seeing some singed grass here and there, until finally seeing what had happened: a crater probably twenty feet in diameter, and what was more fascinating, was what had caused the crater.

Martha, a few steps ahead of Jonathan, said "Honey, come here!"

Jonathan followed, and there he saw it: a pod, which looked to be for animals, and looked like something out of a science fiction movie. It was white, with a smoking exhaust and burnt rocket fins. It had some writing on it in a different language - one that they didn't even recognize as writing. Whatever it was, they somehow knew it was unearthly. At first they didn't think they were stupid enough to open it, but curiosity got the best of them., When they opened it, their hearts stopped.

This was the definitive turning point in their lives. This one moment. Sometimes they wonder what would happen if they never came out to look.

A baby boy, who seemed to be no older than a few weeks, was in the pod. He was crying and gasping for air, almost as if he wasn't used to breathing this kind of atmosphere. But there seemed to be something special about him. And it wasn't for the obvious reason one might think.

"Oh my god," Martha said. "Lord help us."

They were terrified. They didn't know what to do. But something inside of them didn't think they were afraid of the child, but rather of what might happen to him.

"Get him inside," ordered Jonathan. "Now."

The baby was also very light, he must have been starving. They hurried to the house, about half a quarter of a mile away.

"It's okay," said Martha as she carried him in her arms. "It's okay, baby."

When they came in, they immediately started feeding the boy, in which he immediately took in. What was happening? They were in a dream. They were sure of it. But this all seemed too real.

"What are we going to do with him?" Martha asked. "We can't just leave him."

"I know," replied Jonathan. "But who would know what to do?"

Jonathan and Martha didn't even want to think about anything right now. This child was their main concern. If they just left him, then they would be haunted forever, for letting an innocent child go, but if they kept him… What would this child's life be like?

The boy was still having a hard time breathing, but he was a little better now. He had, for the most part, also stopped crying. He was now just silently drinking from his bottle. Why had this happened to just two farmers from Kansas? What had they done to deserve this? But deep down, they felt not as if it were a curse, but a blessing…

After the infant had fallen asleep, Martha carried him into their bedroom, and put him in a cradle, which was there in hopes that one day they would have a child.

"Sweet dreams," she said, and then she closed the door.

After coming back into the living room with Jonathan, she stated, "What just

happened?"

"I don't know," he replied. "But we're not going to abandon him."

"That was never my intention," she said. "I just don't think I'm ready."

But she was ready. Both of them had been ready for years, trying to have one. But this was not exactly ideal. It was really love at first sight, and they had no connection to the baby. They both felt an obligation to take him in, not for their reputation's sake, but for him.

There was a moment of silence before Martha asked, "Are you committed to raising this child?"

It took some time, but he answered, "Yes. What about you?"

"Yes."

And with that, they headed into bed, and turned the lights out.

Before going to bed, Jonathan asked, "What are we going to name him?"

It took some time, but they finally decided on the name.

"Clark."


	3. Clark Joseph Kent

**Chapter 3**

 **Clark Joseph Kent**

"So how was school, Clark?" Jonathan asked. No answer came. "I said, 'how was school, Clark?" he repeated. Still no answer. Clark was on the verge of tears before Martha answered.

"He got into a fight."

"What?" asked Jonathan.

"Clark can explain."

Clark wasn't really in any mood to talk. The dark-haired, blue-eyed seven-year-old was ashamed of himself. He didn't want to talk about what happened.

Ever since Clark could remember, he was never normal. He had these, for lack of a better term, abilities, far beyond any normal human. His life up until this point had been a wave of these. When he was two, he accidentally broke his mother's finger while she was playing with him. When he was four, he flipped over his father's car. And that is only scratching the surface. His parents don't take him to the doctor, getting permission to do so. As far as he knew, no one else knew about his specialties.

As for what happened that day, he was very embarrassed to say. He couldn't care less about the punishment, but he just didn't want to upset his parents

"Pete Willer, he was making fun of me. He called me a freak, pushed me down, and I don't know what happened next. I hit him, but it was much harder than I meant to, and he started crying and then I didn't know what to do. I ran out of the classroom." Clark finished that statement painfully. "I'm sorry."

"Clark, this is one of the first times you have ever hit someone. And we need to know it won't happen again," said Martha.

"I didn't mean to!" Clark exclaimed. It was unfair. It wasn't his fault what he was.

"When you get angry, don't use that anger to hurt someone. Learn to hold yourself back."

"But that's so hard," Clark said.

"So you need to work on it," said Martha. "Do you promise?"

"But-"

"Do you promise?"

With a moment's hesitation, Clark answered, "I promise."

"Good," replied Martha, and she left the room.

This wasn't the first incident like this that had happened. Throughout Clark's whole life he had always had trouble controlling himself. In preschool, he almost always broke crayons when trying to draw a picture like the rest of the kids. In kindergarten, he accidentally broke a locker while trying to open it. In first grade, he bent the metal of a chair out of frustration. His parents always had to come up with some crazy explanation for these. Clark often wondered why he was the way he was, and couldn't get a right answer. His parents did tell him that he was adopted, but that they found him in a field one night and had no idea how he got there.

Jonathan stayed there. "Clark, come on a walk with me," he asked in a kind voice. "Please?"

"Okay," Clark said. He didn't want to go on a walk, but he never wanted to say no to a parent's invitation.

After leaving the house, Clark and Jonathan started to walk through the fields. It was a beautiful day, and they were surprised no one else was outside. This was good though, as Jonathan wanted privacy.

"Have I ever told you how my parents died?" Jonathan asked.

"You said your mom died of cancer," Clark replied. "Breast cancer, I think."

"That's right. We didn't know much about cancer back then or how to treat it, and so I lost my mother. Just to let you know, she was the nicest person ever, besides your mamma.

"My dad died in the Vietnam War. It was horrible. He was a great man. A very great man."

They were now walking past the cows, which mooed as the father and son went along.

"When they died, I was full of anger. I didn't know where it came from,

but I always wanted to take out my anger on something that didn't deserve it. I didn't know why I had it. But I knew that was wrong. So instead of using my sadness to hurt others, I used it as a lesson, to get better at controlling my feelings, not letting any negative feelings out."

"Why are you telling me this? To make me sad?" Clark asked. He didn't understand what he was supposed to be learning from any of this.

"No, I'm telling you this because your mom and I love you and want you to learn from your mistakes. Learn to control your emotions," Jonathan said. "And we also want you to control your gifts."

"They're not gifts, they're a curse," said Clark. "I wish I didn't have them. I'm a freak."

"No you're not. You're just special," said Jonathan. "And one day, you are going to do extraordinary things."

His parents kept saying those exact same words: Do extraordinary things. But what did that mean? Be the strongest man on Earth? He didn't know. But in the back of his mind, he knew his parents weren't telling the whole truth about his "abilities," but he was destined to find out one day.

When they stopped by the road, Jonathan asked, "See that?" He was pointing toward a radar speed sign.

"Yes."

"Do you know what it does?'

"Doesn't it tell how fast you're going?"

"Very good. Want to see how fast you are?"

"Okay, I guess," Clark said. He might as well. Summoning all his energy, he ran into a sprint. Clark then looked back, and his heart stopped: Forty-eight miles per hour.

It was mid-morning. Class had just started, with noise blowing throughout the halls.

"He pushed me!" "No I didn't!" "Teacher, he called me an idiot!" "Can you expel Jackie?"

Idiots, thought Clark. He always wondered why kids his age were so whiny. Even without his parents' guidance, he could probably find out by now that acting this way is wrong. To say the least he found his classmates' behavior rather… disturbing. However his parents also told him to not talk out against others, so he just sat there, wondering how many people in this world can be such babies.

"Alright class, take your seats please," Mrs. Handerson said.

No answer, besides the constant racket.

"Take your seats, please!"

Still no reply over the noise. Clark was trying very hard not to use his strength to

break the desk he was sitting in

"For the love of God, TAKE YOUR SEATS!"

That finally got their attention, right before they all said "Okay, Mrs. Hannigan."

This was one of the only things Clark found funny about his classmates' "humor." Ever since pretty much everyone saw Annie, they had been making jokes about how "Handerson" sounds like "Hannigan," and it seemed to Clark that they never seemed to shut up.

Class today seemed to take forever for Clark. He was a good student, as he had used his parent's methods for studying and social skills. But sometimes he wondered why school even existed, and why so much time was spent on one topic.

Once the bell rang for lunch, everyone instantly sprang to their feet. Lunch was decent today: country-fried steak with rolls. Clark sat alone, knowing that no one would want to talk to him. Well, at least he was half right.

Pete Willer came up to him.

"Hey look who it is: Mr. Sit Alone Freak."

"What do you want, Pete?" Clark asked.

"Nothing. But maybe you should make some friends, if you can even do that. Who would want to be friends with you?" Pete asked in a bully-like way. "What, are you going to punch me now?"

Clark was thinking about it. He was trying his very best to conceal his anger. And while he didn't want anything bad to happen to Pete, he would like to push him away. But he remembered last time that happened, it wasn't a push.

"Are you going to do it?" Pete asked.

With a moment's hesitation, Clark answered "No."

And with that, Pete left. If only Clark knew what would happen next…

After lunch they went back to their classrooms. They were studying math, which made everyone quiet.

"Okay. Who can tell me what multiplication is?" Mrs. Handerson asked. "Anyone? How about you, Diane?"

Diane Lawrence spoke softly. "Multiplication is when you add the same number to the number…"

"Um… no, not exactly. Multiplication is when you take a number and times it. Say, what happens when you put two and two together?"

"Four," Tom Anthony replied.

"Good. And what about if you had three threes?" asked Mrs. Handerson.

The fire alarm set off, causing Clark a heart attack. The announcement boomed over the school. "There is a fire in the kitchen. All students and teachers are to come to the front entrance of the building."

Everyone immediately ran out of the room, some screaming as they went.

"Walk, please! WALK!" one of the teachers called, but no one seemed to be paying attention. They all seemed scared. Clark was a bit afraid himself.

After it seemed like everyone was outside, a teacher called "Okay. Roll call please!" She then began calling out everyone's name. Everyone seemed to be there, until they got to the W's.

"Peter Willer." Nothing came. Then the realization hit them.

Through the wave of panic, a teacher in the crowd said "Okay, we will have people searching for him in the building. We need to find Pete Willer- CLARK KENT, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

But it was too late. Clark was already speeding as fast as he could toward the front doors. What was he thinking? He didn't care. All that really mattered to him was that this boy keeps his life. He opened the front doors, and started searching the building as fast as he could, trying not to breathe in too much smoke. After about a minute he had searched almost three quarters of the school. Then a terrifying thought occurred to him: he hadn't searched the kitchen yet, the place where the fire started. Oh no, he thought to himself.

Clark reached the kitchen, and heard a familiar voice call "HELP!"

He followed the noise, and his stomach dropped when he saw it. Pete Willer was surrounded by flames, unable to get out without burning himself.

"HEEELP!" Pete continued to scream. Clark was having a war in his mind over what to do. Should he risk it, and save Pete's life? Or should he go back and not reveal himself? He was stuck, unable to decide.

Then he heard coughing, loud coughing, right before a dying "p-please! Hel-help meee!"

And with that, Clark made his decision: he ran straight into the flames, with a scream of pain. It hurt like nothing Clark had ever felt, like bathing in boiling water. But surprisingly, it didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. With this in mind, he lifted Pete up, and charged through the flames with another sear of intense pain. He headed through the smoke, trying his best not to breathe in and praying that Pete would be okay. Then he finally found it: the exit. With one mighty leap out the door, he exited the building.

Firemen were all around the school, trying to put the fire out. People were scraming all around, and it was just a moment before Mrs. Handerson said "Clark! Pete! Oh God, call an ambulance!"

It was a while before the ambulance finally arrived. He had suffered a few minor burns, which the medics immediately treated.

"When will my mom and dad be here?" Clark asked.

"They're on their way," one of the nurses replied. It was a few minutes before Jonathan and Martha got there, and they didn't have the happiest expressions on their faces.

"Clark, are you okay?," Martha asked. He nodded. "What caused you to end up here?"

Clark then told them the whole story. "Well, a fire happened. Pete was still inside-"

"The boy who was picking on you?"

"Yes, So I went in to get him."

"You WHAT?!" His parents were not happy with this.

"Clark, you could have been killed!" Jonathan informed him.

Clark looked at them questioningly. "Actually, it didn't hurt much."

"You were burned!" Martha said.

"I thought you could die if you walk into fire."

Both of them went silent at this phrase. Clark then realized that he had gone directly into flames and came out alive, and for the most part, physically fine. The burn didn't even hurt much.

But Clark didn't want to make his parents unhappy. "I'm sorry. I won't do that again."

The couple just stood there in awe, but it didn't seem like it was because Clark could walk into the flames, but because he chose to.


	4. Clarity

**Chapter 4**

 **Clarity**

The class was tight, as always. No one was really paying any attention. They just wanted to get out of there.

"Okay, class, who can tell me what a noun is?" Mrs. Smithson asked. "Anyone? How about you, Jack?"

They were learning about different parts of speech, a subject that everyone found boring. They had learned this every year since they started school.

Jackson Wallace was clearly trying to be fresh. "It's like a thing or something," he answered.

"No, it is not 'a thing or something.' How about you, Clark?"

It took a good minute for the ten-year old Clark to realize the teacher had just asked him a question. He was too busy thinking about family, what he would do when he grows up, and most notably his life up until this point, and how much better it had got. He was having fun, and just overall was a happier person. He was still rather shy and not talkative to strangers, but that was just him. He was also much better at controlling his "specialties." It still wasn't great, but it almost seemed like he could "flip a switch" as to when he wanted to use it. Not that he ever did, though. He still wanted to be as normal as he could, and tried his best not to think about them. School was up and down, and the thought of it reminded him of where he was.

"I asked you what a noun was," said Mrs. Smithson.

"Oh. A noun is a person, place or thing," Clark said. "Or an idea."

"Very good. Let's give Clark an applause," Mrs. Simpson suggested.

No one applauded. Clark understood, too, as they had been teaching this same thing for four years now.

"Okay, now what is an adjective?" the teacher asked.

This is when Clark dozed off again. He commonly daydreamed while he wasn't being asked a question, mostly because he could memorize most of it. Now he was thinking about Christmas. It was so close now, he could hardly wait. Clark had always loved Christmas for all the joy it brings to the atmosphere. Just seeing the family around the fire was enough for him. He hoped it would be better than last year, when both of his maternal grandparents had passed a few days before of a bad illness they both got. But that thought aside, he thought about what presents he wanted. He mainly wanted some VHSs, to record something he might want to watch again. He couldn't really think of anything else he wanted, but he was sure it would be a good one.

It was then that Clark heard Mrs. Smithson's voice say "Clark? Clark Kent, can you hear me?"

Clark was awake again. "Oh, sorry Mrs. Smithson."

"Okay. But just don't let it happen again."

Class went on as usual, students snoring and some getting restless in their chairs. Clark just passed time by toying around with his pencil, before the weirdest thing happened.

When he looked down at his desk, he saw only the ground. When he looked at his pencil, it seemed like he was looking at the inside of it. What was going on? He was freaking out before one girl noticed.

"Clark, what's happening?" she said.

Clark looked over at her, and his blood turned to ice. He saw the outline of a skeleton, right over what he could make out as a bundle of organs. He looked over at his other classmates, and all he saw was skeletons. It was like a nightmare, but somehow more chilling.

He was going insane. Either he was having a nightmare, or he was hallucinating. Then everything began to get louder, and louder, and louder… he had just covered his ears when the volume had hit its max.

"AGGGHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed.

"He's having a seizure!" he heard one of his classmates say.

"I'm getting the nurse," Mrs. Smithson said.

"MAKE… IT… STOP!" Clark shouted. Wondering if his vision went away, he briefly opened his eyes, and immediately closed them after seeing the inside of everything. He couldn't stand it. He got up, and using all the strength he could summon, went to the closet, opened the door, went inside and locked it.

The experience was too difficult to describe. The "x-ray vision," which was the only word he could describe, was weird. It wasn't so much like looking through glass, but more looking at the basic outline and properties of it. It was as if he was sensing what lies behind an object, than actually seeing it in full detail. And the hearing didn't hurt, but was the most irritating feeling ever. In some ways, it was worse.

After a few minutes that seemed like a few hours, he heard, over the unbearable splash of noise, someone knocking on the closet door.

"Clark, the nurse is here. Come out please," Mrs. Smithson said.

"Go away!" Clark demanded. "Get me my mom and dad!"

"Clark, please, come out. We won't be able to help if you stay in there."

"Nooooo!" Clark said, eyes closed and ears plugged. He was helpless. This wasn't normal, at all. What would he say to the doctors? His parents would never let them take blood, or do any type of procedure. He wasn't even sure if he could stop this.

It was maybe five, ten, fifteen minutes later when the door busted down. Clark was picked up and carried into an ambulance.

"Where are my parents!?" Clark demanded.

One of the medics responded. "They're on their way, just please hold out a little longer."

And they did come, right in time.

When they got there, Martha said, in a rather panicky voice "Clark, listen, baby. We're here now. You're going to be okay, you're going to be okay…"

"No I won't! Don't speak! It's getting worse." Clark said, still with his eyes shut and ears covered,

After about a minute of watching Clark hysterically freak out, Jonathan asked, in a soft tone, as to not hurt Clark, "Just tell us what is wrong."

"I can see through things and everything is so loud!"

Jonathan and Martha didn't seem to know how to help their son. Clark was almost sure he was about to break. Then a spark of control sprang up in him…

He tried as hard as he could to control it, as if trying to mentally tell it to stop. Nothing happened. He tried again. Still nothing. Time after time after time he kept trying to mentally stop it, with no success.

It was over. He was probably going to be stuck like this, assuming he doesn't die right now. But he did remember that he was able to "turn his strength off," like a light switch. If that could happen, then so should this.

He just lied there, screaming for hours, trying to get it to stop. He had some luck, where things seemed to dim. He thought about what would happen if they found out, what would happen to his parents. Clark didn't muster this. He summoned every neuron to try and stop this, adrenaline rushing through, the word stop constantly going through his mind, like a command. He was about to break before-

Then everything was normal. It was as if it had never happened at all. The room was quiet, a bit too quiet for Clark… Jonathan, Martha, and the doctors all looked wide-eyed at him.

"Clark, are you alright?" Martha asked.

"Yes," he coughed up.

The family spent the next few days in the hospital. His parents were great company, and at least one always stuck by him. He would normally be annoyed at his parents' affection, but this wasn't the case at this time.

But now Clark had finally realized that he is more than strong. What he can do is outside the realm of human function. This was full on supernatural. And he now knew that whatever he was, it was anything but human.

They finally got home. It was awkward, but they were in their home. But now was the time to ask. He didn't want to come off as aggressive, but this is when he had to.

"I need to have a talk with both of you," he said as they came into the kitchen. It was the middle of the day.

"Okay, sure." His father wasn't really doing a good job covering up his fear.

After bringing them into the living room, he dropped the question: "I don't care what more lies you have, but I know you've keeping something from me since the day you found me, and I'm tired of it." Clark was somber. He was longing to know. It took a bit of courage before he asked it.

"What am I?"


	5. The Child From Another World

**Chapter 5**

 **The Child from Another World**

The room was quiet. It appeared they were contemplating whether or not to tell him.

After a moment's tension, Jonathan said "Clark, promise to us that you won't tell anybody about this."

"Okay," responded Clark.

"Also, promise us not to freak out after you hear this. Do you promise?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Now let's begin."

It took a pretty long time before they actually got started on the story, probably searching for words to say. What was it, Clark wondered, that could be so bad?

Then Martha began, her voice a little shaky. "We were two people in love living in Smallville, Kansas. We wanted more than anything to have a child, but as we have told you before, we couldn't have one. So we tried adopting, and that didn't work out either. But one night, while we were asleep, we heard a crash outside of the house. We didn't know what it was, so we decided to go and investigate. We headed out into the field, and saw a huge crater in the earth. We didn't know what was going on- w-we didn't even know what had made the crater. A-and then we saw it, a white space pod, right in the center. Jonathan, you continue please," and she stopped, stuttering.

Jonathan continued. "What happened is- well-," his voice cut off then. "We opened the pod, and found a baby boy, who looked no more than mere weeks old. He looked like he was gasping for air, and looked starved. We didn't know what to do. So we took him into our house, fed him, and clothed him. I went out and looked at the pod, and I- I knew whatever it was wasn't from this Earth." He choked on these last words before he finished. "And neither are you."

Clark felt the world go around him as he heard these words. There was a reason he was so strong, there was a reason he could take fire, there was a reason he could see through walls. He went breathless at this thought.

"Ten years…" Clark said, tears in his eyes "Ten years, and you never told me?"

"Clark, we didn't think you were ready to know," Martha said. "We didn't know what you would do if you found out."

"Please, Clark. You have to understand-" Jonathan began before Clark broke him off.

"Why did you take me in?" he asked. "Why did you want to raise something that wasn't even human?"

"Clark, it was natural instinct. We saw you, and from the moment we laid eyes on you, we loved you. We could never have let you die," said Martha.

"Well, maybe you should have."

The couple looked stricken at these words. Clark had too much on his mind to think about what he had just said. There was a moment's silence.

Martha broke the silence. "Your, um, real parents left a message with you. Here." She handed Clark a cylinder-shaped object. On the top was a button that looked like a diamond with an S inside it. After taking one look at it, he tossed it behind him.

"Did you see what it said?"

Jonathan shaked his head. "No. We wanted you to find out yourself. Clark, please let us explain-"

"Leave me alone," Clark said before Jonathan could even finish his sentence.

With all of this in mind, Clark rushed out the back door. He ran, not knowing how fast he could even go. He went through the cattle fields, through the crops.

Then, with one mighty hundred-yard leap, which seemed as though gravity had lightened,

landed right next to his favorite tree to rest under. He then curled into a ball and wept as hard as he ever had. What could have been worse? He had always imagined what he was, but nothing like this. He truly hated his own existence.

Maybe you should have seen the message, a voice inside him said. Maybe it would help.

But the last thing Clark wanted was any trace of his biological inheritance. What did it even matter at this point? He asked his parents to tell him what he was, but the thing Clark wanted the most now was to go back in time and make sure he had never asked

Eventually, Jonathan found him. "Clark, do you want to talk about it with us?"

"GO AWAY!" Clark exclaimed through his sobs.

"Okay," Jonathan said before he left.

Clark hugged himself, as tight as he could. What would he do now, knowing what he was? Would he ever be able to recover, knowing that he was, the thought still hurting him, from another world?

What was worse, though, was the thought that all of this might just be the beginning…


	6. Off to College

**Chapter 6**

 **Off to College**

"Clark, are you coming?" Jonathan yelled.

Clark looked around his room. There was still much to be done. "I'll be done in a minute," Clark said, quite literally too, as he was done within a minute. All he needed now were basic schooling supplies, which they would get on the way.

Clark then quickly put everything in the car, got in the back seat, and they drove off.

"So, Clark, are you excited?" Martha asked.

"You know it," Clark replied.

Clark had changed a lot over the years. Middle school had been a bit rough for Clark, but he managed to get through all the stress. High school was when things got good. His grades got better, he became more social, and finally got a good grip on controlling his abilities. Over all, everything about Clark became better. He was a very generous and kind person, what his parents called "a classic boy scout." He was now six-foot-three and weighed a healthy two hundred fifteen pounds. He was handsome, very handsome for someone his age. He had a build that any guy would want, and everything he did was admirable.

But now he was on the road, off to New York University.

"Are you happy to be leaving Smallville?" asked Martha.

"Sort of," said Clark. He loved Smallville, but always had this desire to go elsewhere. He was more than ecstatic to go to the city he always wanted to go to: Metropolis, New York.

"Okay, but remember to give us a call, okay?" asked Martha.

"Trust me, I will."

After a while down the road, Jonathan asked "So, Clark, have you decided what you want to study?"

"No," Clark replied. He really didn't know what he wanted to do for a career. He tried to get into certain things all throughout middle and high school: football, engineering, medics, and so on. But none of that seemed to fit him. His parents just wanted him to be happy with whatever he ends up doing, but Clark couldn't really find anything that matched their request.

"Well, I suppose you have time before you have to decide," Jonathan said. "Just don't come and try to live in our basement."

Clark laughed.

After a little ways down the road, something caught Clark's eye. "Can we go get a Big Belly Burger?" He was hungry.

"Is there one around? Oh, I see," Martha said as she pulled into the fast food restaurant.

They got out of the car and headed into the building. Jonathan asked "What do you want?"

"Number One with fries and a coke. I'll be in the bathroom if you need me," Clark answered.

After heading out of the bathroom, Clark heard a scream. No one else seemed to have heard it, so it must be far. He then turned his hearing on.

"Stop!" a young woman's voice cried.

"Shut up!" called an aggressive male voice.

"No, please!"

"Just hand over the money!"

Clark then heard a noise that sounded like a beating.

"Just give us the damn money!" another voice said.

"Please, this is all I have!" the woman said in a depleted voice.

"Do we look like we give a shit?"

More beating noises and the sound of a gun was enough for Clark to cause him to run out the door. He thought he heard his parents' voices saying something, but that didn't matter. He followed the voices all the way to a back alley, before he hid behind a dumpster. Through the dumpster he could see what was going on: a young woman, who looked to be about twenty-five, was being threatened by two thugs with knives and guns. They were just about to shoot her before Clark stepped around the dumpster.

"Stop!" he yelled.

The thugs turned around.

"Who do you think you are, huh?" said the first one with ragged clothes.

"Yeah, mind your own business," the other punkish one said. "Just carry on."

"Let her go, and I'll leave," Clark said. "Now."

"Ah, screw it, shoot 'em," the first one said.

They both pulled out their firearms and shot him. Clark felt two minor stabs of pain, but acted like it was fatal, to not get the thugs suspicious.

"He's not dead."

"Knife him," one called out.

Before the second thug could slice him, Clark immediately grabbed the thug's hand and pushed him back so that he landed into a brick wall.

"What the hell?" thug one said before he shot at Clark. The bullet hit Clark's hand, which he used his other hand to knock the other man out.

Amazed, the woman grabbed her purse off the ground and gaped at Clark.

"Who are you?" she asked. "Why did you put yourself in danger to save me?"

With a moment's hesitation, Clark answered "Because you were in trouble." After a few seconds, he asked "What were they trying to do to you?"

"They were trying to rob me. I have no job, this is all I have," she replied. As if she forgot to say it, she said "Thank you."

"No need to thank me," said Clark right before he left.

Jonathan and Martha were waiting at the car with his burger, angry expressions on their faces.

"What were you doing?" Martha asked.

Clark then explained the whole story in the car. They didn't seem that happy about it.

"Clark, you shouldn't have done that. We have talked about this before. If anyone figured out about-"

"I know! We have had this conversation a million times before! But if I hadn't done that-," Clark began.

"Then you wouldn't have risked exposing yourself," said Jonathan.

"For the love of God, can't you ever give me a break?"

"Not if you can't do what we tell you!"

"You're not my father! Don't make my decisions for me," he stated. Sullen expressions appeared on his parents' faces.

They were clearly hurt by this. Jonathan stayed strong. "No, no I'm not. But who brought you in, who fed you, who raised you?"

Clark fell silent at these words. What had he just said? He never meant to hurt or disobey his parents, but if he hadn't done what he did…

"What was I supposed to do?" Clark asked. "Just let her die?"

It was a moment full of tension. Martha then said "No."

Clark was confused. Did his parents still think that he should have let the woman die?

After a while longer, Clark asked "Did I do the right thing?"

It took a few moments. His father spoke. "Yes. But please, promise us that you'll be okay if you do something like that."

After Clark first got dropped off at NYU, he carried on his college life as any other person would. He would wake up, go to his classes, go to football games, hang out in his dorm, and any other thing a college student would do. As a freshman, he roomed with a guy named Ty Walter. Ty was a friendly guy, and was probably Clark's favorite roommate throughout his four years. In his second year he moved into his fraternity house. None of his roommates after Ty were as special to him, but they weren't bad. There was Dick Madison, Jim Lansing, and Emit Lexington, who were alright. Going into college, Clark was expecting to be exposed to drugs, sex, alcohol, and all of that stuff. But what was surprising to him was how open people were about it.

Clark, appearing to have a better memory and common sense than most of his classmates, was a model student. He hardly ever got into trouble at school, and ended up being at the top of his class, so much that the school paid for his tuition. During his sophomore year at NYU, he had finally found something that he enjoyed doing: journalism. He wasn't sure if it was keeping up with the latest news or if it was something else, but something about it really appealed to Clark. When he told his parents, they were just glad that he had found something he enjoyed. Now he strived to work for The Daily Planet, the top news source in Metropolis, recognized all over the rest of the world.

Metropolis was a great place to live. It was just as Clark had imagined it. The buildings rose up tall, the sun was always bright, industries boomed all over the city, and most of the people there were kind to you. Clark also liked how you can find everything you ever wanted on just one block. Crowded, to say the least, but it was still, in his eyes, the greatest city you could live in.

Overall, Clark's college experience was going really well.

That was until one day of his senior year.

Clark was sitting in his usual spot in his journalism class, people doing all sorts of things in their seats. It was no different than grade school, really. Some people are smart, some people act stupid, some people don't care. Nothing really changes in life. But then they hear a knock on their door.

"Come in," Professor Mann said.

A man walked in. "Um, excuse me. May I borrow Clark Kent?" he asked.

"Absolutely."

Clark, not knowing what was going on, got out of his seat rather nervously. He headed over to where the man was waiting for him. Then they walked out of class together.

"What is it, sir?" Clark asked.

"Well, um, how do I put this…" he said.

Clark was scared. What could it be?

"I'm sorry, Clark, but I'm afraid that your father has just passed away of a heart attack a few hours ago."


	7. The Message

**Chapter 7**

 **The Message**

Clark sat there in the field, expressionless. The sky was clear, but it didn't seem sunny. It was quiet, a bit too quiet for him. The only sounds were the wind and the old preacher finishing up his words.

"As we go on, we will remember Jonathan Kent and all he did for us. He did not die in vain, and I'm sure he would've wanted us all to carry on strongly," he said in a strong tone. "We will go forward and carry on until we meet Jonathan again in God's realm."

It was that moment before the workmen lowered the coffin into the earth, looking as though they didn't want this job. Then, one by one, everyone took their turns piling dirt into the ground. When it came to be Clark and Martha's turns, it was like someone had stuck a knife into Clark's heart. Very steadily, Clark put the shovel into the dirt, raised it, and dropped it into the ground. He kept doing this until he couldn't take it anymore, and then handed it to his mother, who appeared to be having the same amount of trouble Clark had. After everyone had their turn, most people left. Clark and Martha, however, stayed rooted by the grave.

Clark couldn't even begin to think what Martha was feeling right now. This she had been married to this man for almost thirty years, had a business together, and raised a child together. And now he was gone.

But still, she stayed strong. "Clark, do you remember every Christmas? Jonathan suggested we wrap your presents with tin foil underneath so you couldn't peak at them."

"Yes, I do remember that," Clark replied, his spirits only slightly lifted. "But I could always see you guys wrapping them."

"I also remember on your fourth birthday, when you broke the keys to his new car. That gave him a laugh."

Clark could still remember that to this day. He had done so many things with Jonathan over the years. He thought of all the lessons he taught him, how protective he was, all of the fun things they did together. And now he would never have a chance to do any of that stuff again…

After a few minutes, which seemed like hours, Martha said "Clark, I'm leaving now. Follow me whenever you want," and with that, she went across the cemetery, got in her car, and drove off. Clark could not decide if he was happy or sad Martha had gone. On one hand, he wanted company to help him get through this. But on the other hand, he wanted to be alone.

Now Clark just sat there, motionless. He wasn't sure how long he had been in the cemetery, and he didn't care to know. All he wanted now was to have his father back. No matter what might happen, Jonathan was gone forever. Clark now just stood there, looking at the grave that seemed like it would haunt him for the rest of his life:

Jonathan Kent

1950-2008

After a while, Clark couldn't even stand near the grave anymore. He walked across the graveyard. How could all these people, thought Clark, have so many people lost to them? He didn't want to think about it. Once he got to his car, he drove off to meet his mother in Smallville,. The drive seemed longer, much longer, than normal. Possibly it was his mood, or his awareness, or something else.

Finally, he reached the sign that said "Smallville," drove a few more miles, and then pulled into the driveway of the house he had lived in since his parents had found him. Home at last.

He walked past Martha without saying a single word. She looked dreadful, didn't even say "Clark, you're home," or "hello, Clark." This was alright. He wanted to be left alone. He walked into his room that he had lived in his whole life and slammed the door shut.

For the past few days, Clark hadn't shown any emotion at all. Whenever someone came up to him to say "I'm sorry," or "what happened?" Clark just brushed them off like it was nothing. Deep down, though, Clark knew what he felt. Just as his dad had once described it…

"DAMNIT!" Clark yelled out as he punched a hole in the wall. He didn't care anymore. A fire of fury was inside of him. He was so stressed, his vision went red, as if looking at something would make it burn...

Then, all suddenly, the wall was singed.

He had a moment of confusion, but then reality hit him. Was this a new power? Burning things by looking at it? Clark had almost completely forgot what he was, and now he was more dreadful than ever. No matter what he did, he would never be normal.

"AAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" Clark screamed as he burnt his hand with just as much fury as the first time he did it. Whatever this heat was, it was strong enough to hurt him. He just needed something to distract himself from what had happened days back. It was now that Clark lost control of himself.

He was throwing things left and right, burning some of them. He broke the leg of his beg, burnt the lights out, and pulled the vent off the ceiling. He was ripping things out from under his bed, everything from sheets to homework to old toys. Until he found something laying at the back. A shiny, silver cylinder. He picked it up, and sure enough, it had the diamond with an S symbol in it.

After nearly twelve years, he still hadn't seen the message. From day one, his parents encouraged him to look at it, but he always refused. He didn't want anything to do with his alien self. He was now looking at it, wide-eyed, as if he didn't do something his father had asked him before he died. Clark was still too hesitant and scared to see it. What would it say? He didn't wish to know.

It's what your parents wanted, a voice inside his head spoke.

But what will happen if he sees it? Will he ever be the same?

It's what your father wanted. He would have always wanted you to embrace who you really are.

There was still a continued war in Clark's mind. Should he see it? Or should he try to rid himself of it? Also, Jonathan wanted him to conceal himself. So why would he want his son to see it? But what if he just wasn't ready to show himself?

Then he remembered. Both of his parents wanted him to be safe, but to also be himself. He thought that there couldn't be a balance, but there can.

He was still terrified. But that didn't stop him. Finally, he got the strength.

Clark took the cylinder, pressed the button on the top, and jumped back in astonishment.

It was amazing- almost like a virtual world around him, Somewhat like a hologram, except that it seemed much more real. Some grey energy barrier was shielding him in, and in the middle stood two people- a man a woman- both resembling different aspects of Clark. They also had that same S logo on their chests.

"I, uh, what is going on?" Clark said, trembling. "Who are you?" Though Clark knew instantly who they were.

The man had dark brown, almost black hair, and blue eyes. He was very tan and was tall, muscular, and handsome. The woman had a healthy pale appearance, was on the taller side, had green eyes and pure black hair. She was beautiful. Clark could definitely see where he got his looks from both of them.

"Kal-El," said the man, looking at Clark.

What? What is he talking about? They were clearly addressing him.

"I'm sorry, but, what did you just call me?" Clark asked. He wasn't even sure who these people were- well, he was pretty sure he knew who they were, but what were they was the question.

"Kal-El, our son."

Clark then interjected. "Are you my… parents?" even though he was almost certain who they were.

"Yes," the man, now confirmed to be Clark's father, said.

Clark couldn't wrap his mind around it. Were they real, or a recording?

"Um, what are you?" he asked.

Then the woman finally started speaking. "We are a virtual reality system implanted with digital representations of ourselves."

Clark couldn't believe it. He was there, and even though he knew they weren't real, he still felt closer to his parents then he ever was before. They aren't really your parents, the voice in Clark's head said. Don't get too emotional. But he couldn't help.

"How can you speak English?" Clark asked.

"We are programmed with billions of languages," said the man.

While trying to wrap his mind around this, Clark asked "Who are you? I mean, what are your names?"

The man then spoke. "I am Jor-El, your father. I was a scientist who sent you here. And this is your mother, Lara Lor-Van, astronaut and scientist herself. You, my son, are Kal-El."

Kal-El. Interesting. It sounded like a Hebrew word Clark one heard.

"Go on, ask us anything you want," Jor-El said.

"I have so many questions," Clark said. His mind was racing. Where should he start? "Where did I come from?"

"You came from Krypton, one of the most scientifically advanced planets in the galaxy," Jor-El said. "You were the last Kryptonian baby born, and the first live birth in years."

Clark was confused by this. Last first live birth in years? "I'm sorry, but what do you mean?"

Lara spoke. "In Kryptonian law, all children are to be conceived by use of technology, and not naturally. This is to prevent any defects in the child."

This was a weird law. He could understand it on one hand, but it does seem like an invasion of personal choice.

"So, you didn't want to give up the child, so you kept it in secret?" Clark asked.

"Precisely," Lara answered.

Clark then thought up the next question. "Why did you send me here?"

Jor-El spoke. "Because the pressure in Krypton kept building up, I was measuring it myself. I knew this planet was going to blow up in coming months. I told the Council of Krypton, and they didn't listen."

"But why didn't they listen to you?" asked Clark. He was mad they didn't listen to his father. Were they that ignorant?

"For millennia, a war has been going on between the worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips. It is a brutal war, and is something that should be a top priority. In recent decades, the conflict has been growing, and many other planets had to get involved." Jor-El continued. "But I think that Krypton's existence is a more urgent issue. They didn't even listen."

Recalling all he had just heard, Clark said "Okay, so you two are scientists, who figured out that Krypton was going to blow up, you conceived me outside of the law, some war happened so they couldn't listen to you, and you sent me here?"

Both of them nodded their heads. Clark continued to ask questions and get answers from both of them.

"If you- I mean we- are aliens, why do they seem to be the same as humans on Earth?"

Lara was able to give the best answer she could. "That is something that many scientists across the galaxy are still unsure about. The most commonly accepted theory is that life would evolve similarly under similar environments. Krypton and Earth, as well with many other planets, have near identical atmosphere, climate, gravity, and habitat, As a result, the physiology of the different species are near identical."

This was interesting. But if that's the case, why is Clark so different?

"Why do I have abilities far beyond anyone else?" he asked. "If Krypton is so similar to Earth, then why do I have these powers?"

Jor-El answered. "Great question. You see, Kryptonian genes have adapted to a certain type of star radiation, specifically what we call a red star. What people have found is when they send people of a certain star type to other solar systems, there are mutations. In Kryptonian people's case, when they are sent to what they call a yellow star, over time, they get mutations to hyper levels. This caused the galactic law to agree that no one on Krypton shall live in a yellow star system, out of fear of something that powerful. But Earth was the closest habitable planet to Krypton. When we sent you to Earth, the sun has mutated your cells to great levels. The energy is stored inside the cells, giving you the strength. Think of it like a solar aura. You are far stronger, faster, and more durable than any human being. There might also be other mutations, which has not been clarified."

Okay, so the sun caused Clark's enhancements? He could somewhat swallow that.

Still not believing that he was actually seeing his parents, he continued to ask questions. He was eager to find out all he could about Krypton.

"What was Krypton like?" he asked.

"It was one of the most advanced civilizations in the galaxy," said Jor-El. "It was what all others looked to."

"It was beautiful. Great landscape, fantastic wildlife, astounding cities," Lara said.

"And it had… artificial procreation? Holograms? Digital representations of people?" asked Clark.

"Yes," answered Lara.

"Was it divided into countries? Or was it one government?"

"It used to have political divisions, but over time we all learned to be in peace," she once again replied.

"So was there any violence within the society?"

"Yes, occasionally. But it was almost always worked out."

"All of that, such a great civilization, just went crumbling down, just like that?"

They both answered "Yes."

He still couldn't believe he was seeing his biological parents after he had been with his adoptive ones his whole life-

The thought of Jonathan was a knife in his heart. But still, he couldn't believe it. He had found his parents. He didn't want to say "real," because Jonathan and Martha would always be his. But it was unbelievable what he was seeing.

This was overwhelming, but he now has found his birth place. He couldn't think of how to thank them, even though they weren't real. But still.

"Thank you, very much. Mother and Father."

They both nodded.

"Um, excuse me, but how do I turn this thing off?" Clark asked.

"Just hit the button," said Lara.

Clark looked for the cylinder for a few minutes. He had dropped it after he activated it. He finally found it. Then he took a look at their chests, and a question came to mind.

"That symbol, on your chests, what does it mean?" asked Clark.

Jor-El then responded "It is the crest of the House of El, our family line. You see, it is a symbol of hope on our planet."

And with that, Clark turned it off.


	8. The Daily Planet

**Chapter 8**

 **The Daily Planet**

Ring! Ring!

Clark drearily opened his eyes. He then fell back to sleep.

Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!

Was it already time to get up? Clark thought., Clark lifted himself up just enough to see the time. It was 7:30 A.M.

With much difficulty, Clark finally got himself up and around. Work didn't even start until 9:00, but Clark always wanted time to get up, brush his teeth, brush his hair, and eat breakfast, all the while having enough time to get to work.

After going through his morning routine, Clark left his apartment and went down to eat breakfast.

Like all mornings, Clark had eggs, beacon, a waffle, and milk. He also grabbed a newspaper to read. Iran Nuclear Deal Goes Forward, one of the articles read. Nothing really seemed to interesting to Clark, so he didn't take in one word. Instead, Clark began to think about his past life…

Clark had just turned thirty years old ten days ago. (His "birthday," more like the day his parents found him, was June 30th.) He didn't seem to have aged much, though. After the death of Jonathan, Clark had moved on, always taking inspiration from his deceased father. Martha had now retired, though she still lived in her old house. But overall, Clark had lived a pretty decent life up until now. He also now had some real friends.

Thinking of his friends, Clark looked at his watch. He was going to be late if he didn't go now. So he got up, threw his trash away, put his glasses on, (his mother said it would make him look more bright if he wore them), and rushed out the door.

"Taxi!" he called out. No one came. "Taxi!" he called again. The next taxi driver actually noticed him. He stopped by Clark, and he got in.

"Where we headin'?" the driver asked.

"Daily Planet," Clark answered.

"Okey dokey," the driver said before driving off. Clark could see different coffee shops, clothing stores, restaurants, and other things he thought he might want to try. He even passed by the theater district (the biggest in the world) on the way there. But now wasn't the time to be thinking about that stuff. Traffic was horrible at this time of the day, as it always is. It took a while, but they finally reached Clark's destination,. Clark then handed the driver the money, and got out of the car right before it drove off.

After walking in through the automatic doors, he headed toward the elevators. He stepped on one that had five people riding.

"Which floor?" someone asked.

"Eighth," said Clark.

When he headed out of the elevator, he went down the hallway of typing computers when he finally got to his desk at the Daily Planet.

"How you doing, Clark?" said Jimmy Olsen, one of Clark's good friends. He was on the younger side, in his early to mid twenties, with red hair and green eyes. He was new there, but good at his job.

"Good," replied Clark. "What about you?"

"Great," said Jimmy in a casual tone.

After heading to his station, Clark met the editor-in-chief, Perry White, his boss.

"You were almost late today, Clark," Perry said. "Try better to get here on time."

"I'm sorry, Mr. White," Clark said. "I'll try to make sure it never happens again."

Clark had always liked Perry, but he definitely was the classic boss. Clark didn't really mind it, though.

Then he saw a woman over in the corner.

"Hey Clark," she said.

"Hey, Lois."

"How's your mom doing?" she asked.

"Good. How's that story you're working on?"

"About the inside business report? It's going great," Lois replied.

Clark and Lois Lane had first met a few years ago when they were both applying for jobs at the Planet. They immediately became close friends. She had dark brown hair and blue eyes, and one of the most beautiful person Clark had ever met. She was also thirty, turning thirty-one in September. Lois was very passionate about her work, much more than anyone else at the Planet.

If only she knew how Clark actually felt about her.

He spent most of the morning at his desk, working on an article about vigilantes in the west. It was actually an very interesting topic that wasn't talked much about in Metropolis. This is why he liked journalism so much. Just being at the front of the news and getting first-hand experience with current events. It was great.

At noon, they got a break. Clark decided to use this time by going to get a bite with Lois and Jimmy. They had a little talk, and then went back to work. It was about 2:30 before they heard Perry say "Everyone, I need you in my office!"

"Coming, Mr. White," Jimmy said.

After heading into Mr. White's office, which was filled with pictures and other nice things, Lois asked "What is it, Mr. White?"

"I need to ask you about a trip we're going on," Perry said.

"Okay, what is it?"

"Well, you see, there has been an amazing discovery in the south pole. People have found- I can't believe it- an extraterrestrial monument in the coldest part of Antarctica. We still don't know what exactly it is, and that's why we're sending a team along with the scientists, to see what it is and make a story. I'd like for you three to go. Do you all agree?"

Most of them nodded. There were a few, like David Young and Debby McMathew, who couldn't for various reasons. But most everyone was excited. Jimmy was a bit too much.

"Okay, we're leaving in a week, so I need you all to get prepared. Remember, one week. I also want a good story out of this," finished Perry, before they all left his office.

Clark was excited to be going on this trip, but he was cautious. They had done investigations like this before, but an unidentified monument? This was something bigger, and Clark sure wanted to be a part of it. Was it actually aliens? The thought amazed him- well, if he wasn't one himself. His only concern was the cold, as he knew he would be perfectly okay, but he wasn't quite sure about the rest of the crew.

That week went by really fast, nothing major really happening besides the journalists at the Daily Planet going to dinner together. But then the day came. Their first major story.

Clark met Lois and everyone else at the airport on Monday morning. It was Clark, Lois, Jimmy, the pilot and a bunch of other crewmen Clark didn't know the names of. The flight to Antarctica was about eighteen hours, with a few stops, but Clark managed by talking to people. Once they got there, there was a ten-minute wait while they got the luggage unloaded.

"Okay, everyone. Make sure that you have on proper winter clothing so you don't die of hypothermia," said the pilot. Everyone threw on their coats, including Clark. He could easily stand the cold, but decided that it would look kind of suspicious seeing a man coatless in a below-zero environment.

Once they stepped outside, everyone tucked their arms into whatever place that would give them warmth. Clark felt a slight breeze, but it was nothing to him. They walked until they got to the shelter that they would be staying in. Small and narrow, it had only one bathroom, and one storage closet. It was a cozy place, but nothing you would want to live in. Clark made the most of it, though.

They decided to rest that day after their long trip, and explore the unidentified monument tomorrow. Clark was perfectly fine with this, as he needed some rest.

When they woke up in the morning, things were pretty easy. They got up, ate breakfast, and then headed out. They traveled about a mile, stepping carefully. It took a while, but they finally made it: the monument was in sight. They ran to it, and marveled at it.

"What do you think it is?" Lois asked Clark. He could tell she was a bit scared, but excited. He didn't blame her. If Clark didn't know what he was, he didn't know how he would feel right now.

"I can't guess," Clark replied.

They surveyed the outside. The structure was about the size of a cruise ship. It was nothing like they had ever seen before. It looked like something from a Star Trek episode, but much more exotic. Whatever it was, it wasn't man-made. According to an expert on archeology, it seemed like it just got here mere weeks ago.

Everyone got out their cameras and flashlights.

They went to what appeared to be an entrance, which was an automatic door that they pryed open. The inside of the structure looked even weirder, like the Death Star, but more organic and alien looking. What was terrifying, though, was that lights were on. Clark wondered what everyone must be thinking right now. This was the first real sign of alien life, and that must terrify everybody. They ventured deeper into the structure, through the hallway with closed doors leading to other rooms. They heard some technical noises. Someone screamed. They went even deeper, and Clark was a little worried now. They then reached a door that glowed. Clark probably knew what this was, and he looked through it to see: a reactor, the core of a ship.

Oh my.

Clark was horrified. Surely the alien, whatever it was, wouldn't bother them, right? It would just mind its own business, just like anything else, as long as the humans didn't harm them.

"Who else is horrified for their life?" Jimmy asked.

Lois stood beside Clark. "Clark, do you think that this is an alien?"

"I don't know," he lied.

"Is everyone getting this?" Another journalist asked. "I mean, this is a little creepy, isn't it? We could be in an alien ship, and whatever it is might not be friendly-"

A laser shot out and hit her. Panic struck over the crew. Clark went alert. Three objects, what looked like robots, came down, firing what appeared to be lasers at the crew. Clark couldn't just let this happen, he couldn't. He saw one going toward Jimmy…

"GET AWAY!" he yelled as he jammed his shoulder into one of the robots. They looked like a combination of a battle droid from Star Wars and a Terminator. He continued to fight them off as they swarmed him, until he screamed "GOOOOOO! LEAVE ME!"

What was going to happen to him? He didn't care. He just hoped his friends would be okay… He saw everyone leaving, as he fought off the robots as hard as he could. He was about to follow the crew. But he felt a stab in the neck. And then a weakness in his body, a growing weakness that didn't stop. He felt like he was going to throw up, but much worse. He had just fallen to the ground before his world blacked out…


	9. The Invader

**Chapter 9**

 **The Invader**

Clark's whole world was black. There wasn't any life in him, as though it had all been drained. Yet he was still getting weaker by the minute. He wasn't aware of anything around him. All he heard were robotic noises, and the occasional sound of metal footsteps.

"Wake up, Kryptonian," said a voice. It was fairly deep, and had a digital sound to it. Whatever it was, it was not friendly.

Clark opened his eyes. He could only make out vague details of his surroundings. He was in a hospital-like bed, but he was strapped down. He looked around him. It looked like a storage room of a starship. There were many different artifacts, all seeming alien like. There was some kind of ceremonial armor around the corner, some vials of liquid, some creatures in cages, and right next to him, some green rock that pained him to look at, as well as many more artifacts.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"You are in the Kryptonian sector of my ship. You are being held captive here." said the voice.

Clark's vision then cleared. Around him he could see the same robots he saw earlier doing certain tasks, and right in front of him he could see where the voice was coming from. It was an alien with green skin and glowing red eyes. On its dome-like head were different techno patterns that made it look more cybernetic. It was wearing some kind of silver metal body armor, and was pretty big, about seven feet high. It looked very menacing.

"I wasn't expecting to find a Kryptonian on my ship, let alone anyone at all. Tell me, how did you get to Earth?" the alien asked.

"I'm not telling you," said Clark. He then was shocked with something, and it hurt like a million gigawatts.

"Let's try that again. How did you get to Earth?"

He didn't think it was worth not telling it. "My… my parents, they sent me here, knowing their planet was going to blow up…"

"Ah, yes. The great demise of Krypton. According to traces in your blood, you are Kal-El. Son of Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van."

What? Did Kryptonians have devices embedded into their blood that tells you who they were? Clark didn't even have time to think about that.

"You are the son of two top-respected scientists on Krypton," said the alien.

"Yeah, I know," Clark said.

"You are also the grandson of the greatest scientist of Krypton ever, and the redeemer of the House of El," the alien said. "In fact, he created that suit over there."

Okay, that was new. But Clark didn't have time to be proud of his family history.

"I see that Earth's yellow sun has made you quite powerful," the alien said. "Possibly one of the most powerful beings on this planet…. No Kryptonian, from what I can recall, has ever resided on any yellow-sun planet for anything over two decades. You must have all the power one can wish for..."

"What are you?" Clark asked.

The alien spoke. "Me? I myself was created by the New Gods of Apokolips, built to research new worlds by collecting their artifacts. I have since been studying planets by abducting their citizens and resources."

New Gods? What did that even mean? Clark didn't understand this being at all. He knew it wasn't here to help, though.

"I have been called by many things over time by different civilizations. But in your language, I am Brainiac.

"I was designed to be the greatest intelligence there ever was, and have surpassed that. I have been gathering data from almost every major inhabited planet in the galaxy."

Clark then wondered something. "How can you get across the galaxy so fast?"

"Space-time breaches. Apokoliptians know how to create and work them. We do however lack the knowledge of what they are."

This universe was even crazier than Clark imagined. Was Earth really one of the only planets out of contact?

Clark then looked at the alien, and noticed something new. It didn't look alive. And he said it was created? Clark then knew what this thing was. He saw through it, and only saw machinery.

"You're not an alien, are you? You're a robot," he said.

"Correct. I only take on an organic appearance to show I am not an unintelligent computer. While I am programed a certain way to obey commands and do tasks, I do have my own free will."

A world with computers with human-like minds is scary. Clark remembered he couldn't even break out of this, when he should be able to break metal with a single blow. Something was happening.

"Why am I so weak?" asked Clark.

"Good question. You see, there is a poison that is very common on Krypton: the mineral Kryptonite. It was used on your planet for war and assassination, and there were plagues of it far back. It causes the cells in Kryptonians to slowly degrade. I shot you with a needle with a small amount in it that slowed you down. That rock beside you is what is killing you."

Clark thought about this. If Brainiac could kill him, why doesn't he? "Why didn't you just kill me earlier?"

"I am doing some research on you. This is the first, and probably only chance I will have at inspecting a mutated Kryptonian."

"Why are you here?" Clark asked.

"I, Brainiac, am here to collect various aspects of Earth," said Brainiac. "I need it to complete my research."

"And what happens after that?" Clark asked, hoping his fears wouldn't be confirmed. "Will you just leave?"

"No. I have another mission to do in the process. I'm afraid this world will have to perish."

Clark then felt his worst fear come true. His head started to spin, the thought of this world dying. Earth didn't seem to have any connection with any other world, and compared to other planets described, there was nothing special about it at all. "WHY? Why do you have to destroy it?"

"Great question. You see, this world is... powerful. In ways you cannot understand. There are aspects of Earth far beyond anything else. This is part of the reason why Earth is one of the planets out of contact with the rest of the galaxy. You see, by eliminating it, there would be no threat."

"Why is Earth a threat to you?" asked Clark, worry heavy in his voice now. "Why do you have to destroy it?"

"That is not for you to know," said Brainiac. "Let us just say that there is more to this universe than you know. As ordered by the New Gods, it will be destroyed."

What was so secret? Why was Earth so "powerful?" Clark wouldn't even get to say his lasts words to everyone. He would be dead soon.

After a while, Clark asked cautiously "How exactly will you do it?"

"Great question. The main reason I came down to the surface was to plant a device. It will collect energy until it has enough to send a shock wave over the Earth, wiping this world clean of any life forms." Brainiac seemed confused with Clark's expressions. "I don't understand why you have such strong emotions for this planet. You were born on Krypton. You are beyond any of them. So why are you willing to stand beside them?"

"They... they are people." Clark never thought of himself as above anyone else. He never thought anyone was above anyone. They were just people, like the rest.

"Don't be upset. I would worry more about your own life, not the humans. They are below me, and you as well. This Earth has a couple of weeks. I will give them time to give me resources. And after that, it's the end of society."

Clark was now on the verge of tears. Earth, just being obliterated. Everyone, all seven billion people, just vanishing. He felt angry, sad, and depressed all at one time. The good thing was that Clark would be dead from the Kryptonite before he saw this world burn.

With that, Brainiac left the room, leaving Clark screaming, right before he blacked out again.

Clark was weightless. He was flying, flying across the city. Everyone looked happy, not one ripple in mood. Everything was great. He flew by Martha's house, good as always. He went by the Daily Planet, where he saw all his friends' smiling faces. They then went to and saw a musical everyone loved. Clark then decided to fly all around the world. Everything was great. Until, off in the distance, Clark saw a scarlet beam shoot out of the ground. It was magnificent, but terrifying. It started to expand, the shockwave stretched out. He flew, far away from it. But too late, it caught him. He didn't die however, but he looked around him. Forests were burning, cities were scorching. He flew down, down to where the people were. He tried to find any sign of life, couldn't. All he found was a blazing pile of rubble. He flew to Metropolis, still nothing. He then flew to Smallville, to his mother's house, and found nothing but flaming bones.

Clark awoke in an instant. He looked around, confused. Everything was still normal. It took a while for him to realize that it was a bad dream. But he knew, deep down, that that was destined to happen… Everyone dead by a giant fire. He knew he had to get out of there, he had to tell everyone, in hopes of saving it. Could he? He was just sitting there, strapped down, unable to do anything because of a rock… He looked beside him. If only he could just get rid of it. If he could just isolate it… He was done, this world was done, every human on Earth was done…

He looked at the rock, took a deep breath in, and breathed out. The Kryptonite froze and was blown away.

What had just happened, Clark couldn't process. But apparently he has the ability to... freeze things by breathing on them? Clark didn't have time to think about what he just did.

Instantly, but weakly, he broke all of the straps restraining him. Two of the robots lunged at him, but he burnt both of them with his vision. He was escaping.

He walked over to the door, and noticed the suit there. The one created by his grandfather. Will it protect me? Clark wondered. He walked over to it. The brief summary given said "Kryptonian Ceremonial Battle Armor. Indestructible. Attached to wearer very tightly. Increases healing factor of the wearer."

That could help, thought Clark. He took a better look at the suit.

The suit was very vibrant. It was a sleek, royal blue, spandex-like material. It had crimson boots and a cape, and in the center was a slick, red belt. On the chest was the same S in the diamond logo as Clark's family crest, but it was colored in red and bright gold. When you look closer, there were also faint lining patterns on it. While cosmetics didn't really matter in this situation, it was very pleasing to the eye, and it seemed like it would be of good use. So he slipped both legs and arms into it. It was tight, but very comfortable.

Still a bit week, he used all his strength to open the door to the Kryptonian sector, and proceeded down the hallway.


	10. Defying Gravity

**Chapter 10**

 **Defying Gravity**

Clark looked down the long hallway. It was quiet, too quiet. Being cautious, he continued walking.

Instantly, toxic gas came spurting out on either side of him. He covered his mouth and held his breath, trying his best not to breathe the gas in. He got up, and punched both gas exhausts until they both shut down. He continued to move.

Blasts as fast as machine guns then came at him from the front. He covered his body, stepping back, and took the source out with his laser vision.

It was then that Clark realized something: Brainiac isn't a living being, he's a computer. This entire ship must be connected to Brainiac, and he literally controls everything here. He ran to the next door, kicked it open, and then continued his escape.

"We have an escapee in the sixth corridor. Destroy him," said Brainiac's voice.

Instantly, Brainiac's sentries came rushing in on every entrance possible. There were about a dozen in the corridor. He knew he couldn't get by them without fighting, so he grabbed one and slammed it into another. He then grabbed another, ripped in apart, and used the two halves to crush another one. He burned a few, punched once, kicked one, and right when he felt sure he was okay, another one grabbed him from the back. He kicked and slammed it into a wall. He went into another corridor.

"All sentries to the fifth corridor. Contain the Kryptonian."

The place filled with sentries once again. Clark was now overwhelmed by the amounts of targets. Two grabbed him on either side and one in front of him was about to gore him with some kind of blade. Not allowing this to happen, Clark slammed the two at his sides into each other and burned the third. He then froze another. The robots began to fire lasers at him, which didn't do much but they did hurt. Two shock cables then came at him from the ceiling, which was one of the most painful things ever. Clark could feel the damage being dealt to his body; he had to act fast., He grabbed the cords and pulled them out. He dropped to the floor. Brainiac's henchmen grabbed him, and started doing whatever damage they could to him. Clark was still weak from the Kryptonite. He still wasn't in the best shape to take on all of these robots, but he got up, shaking all of the robots off of him.

With one final blow, he fired up his eyes and shot all around him, destroying all but one robot. He then froze the last.

Clark went to the next corridor, where he was met with more robots. He was now smashing them left and right, unaware of his other surroundings. How could there be so many of them? An electric blade jabbed Clark in the stomach, but surprisingly didn't do any major damage to the suit, even though Clark could feel the cut. Whatever the suit was made out of, it was designed to absorb the damage, and not rip. Another robot hit him with so much force it knocked him into the wall, which he recovered from pretty fast. Clark had to escape, he just had to. He then ripped the automatic door off the wall and used it to crush all the robots.

He then headed to the last corridor. This was it, he was about to be free.

"Do not let the Kryptonian escape," said Brainiac. Sentries began piling on top of Clark, as he was trying with all his might to fight them off. He eventually destroyed them all, and he thought for a moment he was free.

The walls were moving, closing in on him. He was about to be crushed in a minute.

"It is too late, Kal-El. You and this planet are doomed."`

Clark tried, but he couldn't figure out a way out of this. The walls were almost on him, and, as a last resort, he did the impossible.

Using all his might, he stretched his arms and legs out to stop the walls. It was working, it was slowing it down. Clark saw the entrance, and he knew if he was fast enough, he could make it. Pushing against the walls, he got ready, and with one big charge, made it out of the ship.

Clark felt so good. Adrenaline was rushing through him. The Kryptonite had almost completely worn off by now. He felt almost like he could fly.

He hoped to God his crew was smart and left immediately. He was right.

But then he hit another obstacle. How exactly was he going to get back across the ocean? He was sure he could leap over canyons, but that wasn't enough. He couldn't swim it. As far as he's tried he isn't that fast in water and also might drown.

Then a thought occurred to him. Would he be able to get back home to save everybody? He had to get back. He knew he had to.

Clark just recapped everything he just witnessed, that he could fight off all of those robots at once. He wasn't even badly damaged. He felt so strong, much more than he originally assumed was his limit. It appears Clark had only tapped a fraction of his power.

He felt all this energy in him, all of this power. What he did next was just natural instinct.

With one mighty leap, he jumped a hundred yards, only to fall back down again on the cold ice. He tried again, and got the same result. Each time he did it was with increasing force. More and more strength, it was like there was a force that was powering him, making him go farther. This was a long shot, but he tried it, and he fell back onto the ice.

Clark thought about the future, and how it can go both ways: either the world dies in fire, or the world would somehow defeat Brainiac. And he wasn't going to let the first one happen. That strange force, Clark tried to use all of it he could. He closed his eyes, knelt on the ice, and focused. He could feel gravity lessening around him, nothing was holding him back. And summoning everything in his power, kicked off.

Clark was going higher than ever before, moving faster than a speeding bullet. He was soaring above the clouds, propelling himself forward. He felt a kind of power he had never felt in his life pulsing through him. He slowed the momentum down, and hovered over the terrain, his cape majestically blowing in the wind. This first time was one of the greatest things anyone could feel.

With that, at full speed, Clark raced off back to Metropolis.

It was amazing, really, the feeling of flying. All Clark had to do was kick off from the ground, and he was soaring. He soared past the clouds at speeds above jet engines, the wind on his body. He couldn't guess how fast he was going, but he did know that he was going above the speed of a rocket lifting off. But he had a mission: he had to get back to Metropolis.

After flying for what seemed like a couple hours, Clark found the plane, and sure enough, it had the Daily Planet symbol on it. But something didn't seem right…

Looking back, Clark could make out two things that looked like planes, but they didn't look normal. They came closer, and closer, and closer, and Clark knew exactly what they were.

They were small fighter ships in the same style as Brainiac's ship. They looked like A-Wings from Star Wars, but more exotic and organic. Brainiac must have sent them to destroy either Clark or the plane, but either way they need to be stopped.

The first one started to fire on the plane, which Clark blocked with his arm. He then charged full force into the ship, knocking it out of the sky.

The second ship started to charge up. Clark rushed behind it and took the thrusters out with his laser vision. But it was too late. It had already reached the plane.

The plane was falling into Metropolis. It was falling fast, really fast. Clark was faster, though. He dived down, and looked inside the windows. People were panicking. He had to keep going. He reached the nose of the plane, and pushed up on it. It was slowing down, but not enough. He pushed harder, right when he was only five hundred feet from the ground. They were just about to crash when Clark gave one last push, and the plane had stopped. He then set it down..

It took a while for everyone to get out, but they eventually did. They all came out of the entrance, looking as though they didn't know what just saved them. They then looked over to Clark, but didn't seem to recognize him. Did glasses make that much of a difference? Apparently. Clark thought about telling them what he was, but then imagined what would happen if they knew. He might lose his job, or they might be afraid of him. No, they couldn't know. For now, anyway. After a few minutes, they walked over to him, looking amazed.

"What the hell?" said one camera man.

Lois then walked over to Clark, who was hiding his face. "Who… who are you?" she asked.

It took a while before Clark started to say "I…"

He instantly heard guns load behind him. Clark didn't know what was going on.

"Hands up!" cried someone.


	11. The Questioning

**Chapter 11**

 **The Questioning**

Clark was now walking down a hall, handcuffed, guards on every side of him. It was a cold place, with stone walls and depressing lighting. Clark didn't like it all that much. His handcuffs had bombs on them. So if he tried to break lose, they would go off.

After heading into a cell (more like containment room), someone said "Sit down there and wait for someone to question you."

"Okay," said Clark. He made his voice lower, as to not give himself away.

It was amazing how Clark was just sitting there, knowing he could break out if it any time if he wanted to. He sure wanted to get out of this cell, but the last thing he wanted was to be any more of an outcast than he already was, not to mention they put bomb cuffs on his wrists. But he did wonder what exactly they would ask him. As far as he is concerned, seeing what just happened would be very freaky to most.

Eventually, someone came. It was a man who looked about sixty, with a mustache and beard. He looked fairly military-esque.

"We need to do some testing, before someone comes to question you," he said.

"Alright," said Clark. "What do you need?"

Clark was then lead into a room full of heavy objects and needles. Clark was pretty sure where this was heading.

"First, lift that two-ton anvil," said the man.

Clark did so with ease. Everyone was amazed.

"Um… okay. Try that five-ton one," the man said.

Clark did the same. He tried all kinds of weights, none seeming to put any stress on him.

"Okay… Go… go over to that table. Lie down on your back."

Clark did as told. Immediately, scientists came into the room, grabbing different kind of needles.

"We are going to try to penetrate your skin. I will ask you to take off your, um, costume…," said the man, rather scared.

All of the needles did nothing to Clark. Didn't even break the skin.

They then asked Clark to fly, and as he did so everyone had amazed but terrified expressions on their faces.

Over a few hours, they tried everything. It seems like they were trying to find out how powerful Clark was and what his limits were. Nothing tested any of his abilities. When they were finally done, Clark was sent back to the contamination room, just waiting to be questioned. Everything that had happened, from going to Antarctica, being held hostage on Brainiac's ship, getting captured, escaping, and saving a plane… Had that all just been two days? It seemed much longer to Clark, and these hours in the cell were taking forever.

Then, the door swung open. The same man said "Time for your questioning."

Then a familiar face stepped in. Clark had heard of him before. He was on the news all the time, being a scientist, businessman, politician, and possibly one of the smartest people on Earth.

Lex Luthor.

Luthor was a man in his late fifties, average size and a bald head. What he has accomplished in his life is quite extraordinary. He is considered one of the most successful businessmen of all time. Thirty years ago, he took over LexCorp, a top-brand technology and research company that mainly specializes in computers and military equipment. Luthor himself, last time it was counted, has a net worth of over 30 billion, double the amount he had five years ago. All of his other companies were successful, and he hardly made any bad investments.

His contributions to science are also great. What he has done in terms of progression of engineering and other things is something you can give him credit for. He also is a theorist on biology and astronomy.

Luthor also has a big political career. Other than being politically active all the time, he served in the U.S. Senate for New York for six years, running as an independent, though the Kents never liked his political views. His policies always seemed like they benefited him and the people at the top.

While Clark did not question Luthor's brilliance, he did have opinions on his morals. Even with all that money, he hardly ever donates to causes that don't benefit him. And there have been many accusations made against him about employees not getting the profit they were promissed or him not paying taxes, He always won the cases, though.

One thing Clark noticed was that while Luthor always had this sinister look on television, it was nothing to the extent like it is in person.

Luthor sat down. He didn't even greet Clark, just started with the questions.

"So, I assume you know who I am?" said Luthor.

"Of course," said Clark.

"Good. Now we don't have to go through all the introducing," he said. "This is an interesting case. While the concept of people in costumes running around the city is not new in this world, one showing power to that degree is unheard of. And that is why I am here to question you, to find out as much as I can.

"First, who might you be?"

Clark was about to say "Clark Kent," but then thought about Martha, about Jimmy, Perry, and Lois, all his other friends and aqquentinces, what they might go through if his identity was revealed. Clark decided to stay silent.

"You won't tell us? Pity. We might have to force it out of you."

"You know you can't torture me, right? Have you not got the results from the tests?" Clark objected.

"Indeed, I have. In fact, I have my guesses on what you are. Not human, no. Definitely not human. So, what are you?" Luthor said.

Clark thought about what to say. Then he remembered why he came back to Metropolis in the first place.

"I have to warn you about something. Just listen to me for one minute-"

Luthor objected. "I'm sure it can wait."

"No it can't wait! I have to tell you-"

"It will have to. Now, let's try this again. What are you?"

Clark remembered that same phrase from Brainiac. He could tell immediately he did not like Lex.

"I'm not human. I'm from the deceased planet Krypton, sent here by my parents," Clark said. Everyone else in the room looked amazed, but Luthor just stood there.

"As I might have thought. Tell me, what was your planet like?"

"I wouldn't know. I was sent here as an infant."

"Ah, I see. Now, you are practically a god here. What is that like?"

"I'm not a god," said Clark. "Don't call me that."

"Fine, then. What is it like, being an abomination in a society such as this?"

Clark took a minute to answer. "It's… hard. Knowing what I am."

"I would imagine. Now, as powerful as you are, why don't you use it more? Why don't you show the world what you can do?" asked Luthor.

"I don't want glory. I just want to be normal," replied Clark.

"Interesting. If that were the case, I don't think you would catch a falling plane out of the sky. Why did you do that?"

This man was just like every bully Clark had ever encountered, except more powerful and intimidating.

"Please, just let me tell you what I need to warn you-,"

"No. Answer the question," said Lex.

"Fine. I don't think I could have let them die, which is why I saved them."

"Okay. Now, who raised you? Surely someone had to take you in. They must have been crazy, though."

Clark was trying with all his might not to melt Luthor's insides.

"I already said, I'm not going to tell you," said Clark.

"Ah, right. You don't want to tell us because you don't want any freak friends or family of yours hurt. Okay, then. How did your powers develop?" said Luthor. "Did they come immediately, or did you find out over time?"

"Over time," replied Clark.

"And what was it like?"

"Hard and scary. Listen, you need to let me explain-,"

"For the last damn time, let it wait," said Luthor.

Clark was wondering why it had to be this man that questions him. He would rather have anybody else. "Why are you questioning me?"

Luthor laughed. "Well, I am one of the top scientists on this planet, am I not? When I first heard about you, I was eager to learn as much as I can. I am also publishing a report on meta-humans, but that is neither here nor there."

That last sentence confused Clark. "Aren't meta-humans still a myth?"

"In techniqual terms, yes. But believe me, they are out there. None like you, but I can assure you they exist."

Luthor kept going. "I apologize if I seem to be aggressive to you. It is just in my nature."

Clark knew what Luthor was. He couldn't hold his rage anymore. "What is your nature? Being manipulative and taking advantage of others? Standing on the backs of the little people? That's what you do. You don't care about anyone else, only about yourself."

A cold expression dawned on Luthor's face. "You know what my life was like?"

"No," answered Clark.

"Well, you see, I was born in Metropolis, into a wealthy family. I myself was a genius. My father used to always tell me 'We are Luthors! Luthors rise up and prevail! Luthors are powerful!' Blah blah blah. I never really understood what he meant, and it always annoyed me when he would say it. But now, you see, I know what he was trying to get across. We Luthors live to rise up, to build, to rule. That's why he built LexCorp, to do all of those things. And then I took over, and while it has been stressful-"

"Is that how you lost your hair?" asked Clark in a sassy manner. Again, it sounded a lot worse out loud.

"Actually, no. I once had a full head of red hair, but I lost it while doing some experimenting with different kinds of acids in my lab one day. But that isn't the point. What was I saying? While it has been stressful, I, and many others for that matter, feel that LexCorp has improved this city with scientific and technological advancements. That being said, this city still has much to be done," finished Luthor.

Yeah, like getting rid of you, thought Clark, however he was smart enough not to say it this time.

"Okay, let's get back on track. Is everyone on your planet this powerful?" asked Luthor.

"No. It's only because of the Earth's sun's radiation," answered Clark.

"I see. Amazing, really, how just something like the sun can make a god."

"Please, I don't like to be called that."

"Why? Does it make you feel too… unnatural? More like the alien you are?"

Clark then stood up threateningly. He was right about to reach for Luthor's throat when his conscience got to the best of him. He sat back down.

"Trying to intimidate me? Oh please. I have over three decades of business experience. I have learned not to be intimidated," said Luthor. "Now, it seems you wish to tell us something? Go right on ahead."

This was the only time Clark had the slightest liking for Lex. "Okay, so you know that structure that was found?" asked Clark.

"Yes, it has already been published."

"Okay. It is actually an alien ship, belonging to a robot named Brainiac."

"Go on," said Luthor.

"It captured me, and on the ship, he told me what he was going to do," said Clark.

"And?"

"He- he means to destroy this world. Billions of people killed…," said Clark. Scared expressions appeared on everyone's faces, except Luthor's.

"Did he say how?" he asked.

Remembering all he could, Clark said "Something about gathering up energy, creating a shock wave that will destroy all life on Earth."

An interested expression dawned on Luthor's face. "Did he say why?"

"He said that our world is 'powerful' and 'a threat' to the universe… What does that even mean?"

"Interesting," he said.

Right when Clark was sure he was going to leave, Lex asked "Where did you get that rather… loud costume?"

"I found it on Brainiac's ship," Clark said.

The businessman nodded, and he left.


	12. Global Broadcast

**Chapter 12**

 **Global Broadcast**

It was roughly a few days after Lex Luthor had left that Clark thought about what he was going to do once he got out, or if he got out. No one seemed to acknowledge what he said about Brainiac, instead just looking at him as if he had two heads. This annoyed Clark, as he had revealed to everyone that he was an alien days ago, but ever since then Clark was under even heavier surveillance than ever.

After a while, Clark asked, "When can I go?"

"Depends on when the government figures out what the hell to do with you," said the same man who gave Clark testing, whose name was Pierce Carson, apparently.

Was Clark ever going to get out of this place? He could only wish. But even if he did get out, what was he going to do? Try to take on Brainiac's forces with the military? That would just make him viewed more as what many would call "a threat."

Clark was just sitting there, for days now, doing absolutely nothing. They were feeding him fine, and still trying to get some sort of blood from him. He greatly feared what they were going to try to do to him. More than likely, they would either try and make him into a living weapon, or use him to turn other people into weapons. The last thing he wanted was to make this world any more destructive than it already is.

Then a monitor in the room came on, and it was buzzing as though someone were trying to hack it. Then, things started to clear up, and Clark could see the green covering and the glowing red eyes, along with the silver armor.

It was Brainiac.

What was he doing? Asking the world to prepare for their death?

He started to speak, in English, "People of the Earth, I have seen that you have heard about me. A news team came to investigate mere days ago, only one captured. I was created by the New Gods to spy on other worlds and collect their artifacts. In your language, I am called Brainiac.

"I do not plan an invasion, but rather an assimilation. I have come here to collect your citizens and resources, for my research. Some sacrifices shall be made, but that is no concern of mine. I will give you a week for you to willingly hand over your resources. If you do meet this request, I will proceed to destroy your land and people. You should take my word on that. There is nothing you can do to try and resist me. You have a week. Think wisely."

The monitors then shut off. The room began to panic.

"Surly it's just a prank, right?" someone said worriedly.

"I don't care what it is. We have to stop it!" said someone else.

Told you, thought Clark.

One thing Brainiac didn't mention, however, was obliterating the human race entirely. So that meant Clark was the only one that actually knew what Brainiac was planning. And he is stuck here in containment.

Days passed, Clark trying to convince everyone to do let him go and tell the government what was happening. Or to let him go and take on Brainiac himself. Nothing was happening, and it was getting more and more concerning.

Clark was reminded at what his biological father had said in the message, about how the Council didn't listen to him, and did not take the few extra steps. He thought of what happened to Krypton...

A week had passed. Brainiac stayed true to his word.

News flashes began on the monitors. MASS ABDUCTION AND DESTRUCTION IN METROPOLIS, the header said. The cameras were showing Brainiac's sentries in the ruins of the center of Metropolis, some tower-like machine in the middle of it. People were being rounded up and teleported, and Clark instantly made the connection that the tower was transporting the people. Apparently, Metropolis wasn't the only place this was happening. Someone needs to do something.

"What is the military doing about this?" He asked Carson.

"Doing whatever they can to stop it."

Clark knew that Brainiac was right in that Earth's military cannot do anything against him. Brainiac came from a planet that is multi-millenia beyond Earth's technology. Meanwhile, Earth hasn't even sent people to Mars. They didn't have a 1/1000 chance. Nothing on Earth could match anything that they might have.

Clark looked down, and saw his red family crest. He remembered what it meant. And he also remembered that something could match them. This planet was on the verge of extinction. And if there was one thing this world needed, it was hope.

"Let me leave," he said. Everyone looked around at him.

"What?" Carson asked.

"I am asking you to let me free."

"You do realize it is our job to make sure you don't get out, right? Why would we let you go?"

"I might be able to stop Brainiac," sated Clark. He was certain.

"Even if you could do that, which I doubt, we would still not let you go. You are the most powerful thing on this planet, and we don't feel good about letting that loose."

Clark realized that they weren't going to let him go by just asking. His parents always taught him to look for a peaceful solution to reach your goal, but he couldn't follow that right now.

"I am not asking you to release restraints. I am getting out of here one way or another, and I am only asking for approval."

"Yeah right. I dare you to."

Clark didn't want it to come to this. "Fine. Stand back. I don't want to hurt anybody."

Everyone stepped back, but with guns ready. Making sure everyone was out of blast radius, he pulled his arms apart.

A cloud of smoke blurred his vision, and he felt his arms burn. But he was free. Everyone was amazed.

"Don't... don't you dare..."

"I'm sorry. But I have to."

Guns shot at him as he headed for the wall. He punched a giant whole in it, leading to another room, and he flew up, clearing the path as he went through the floors, until he saw the sunlight. He raced for Metropolis.


	13. The Battle for Earth

**Chapter 13**

 **The Battle for Earth**

Clark was flying as fast as he could to the center of Metropolis. He just hoped to God that there wasn't too much damage. He was nearing the location of destruction, and a tower came into view.

There were a few Brainiac bots around the area, which all seemed to be rounding people up. Around him he could see some buildings burning, and people running for their lives.

BOOM!

A building had just crashed down. Clark looked around to see where it came from, and he saw it: robot that looked to be about ten feet tall with green and white light coming from its vents. It seemed like it was a "high ranked" drone, looking a lot more powerful than the rest. He got the impression that it could pack a punch.

It was about to fire again at another building. Clark instantly sped toward it to block the shot, and felt a wound open under his suit. It hurt really badly, but Clark remembered that this suit has some healing abilities.

He was now looking into the green eyes of the robot, wordless.

"I must say I was not expecting you to come here, Kal-El. I do not understand why you feel so much affection for this Earth," said Brainiac's voice.

"On your broadcast you didn't say anything about destroying the human race."

"That would make them less tempted to give me their resources if they knew they would be destroyed soon after. It is all strategic," Brainiac responded.

"Brainiac, give the people you abducted back," said Clark.

"I cannot do that. I need them for my research, you see. Earth is one of the only advanced civilizations that I have not studied, and I wish to have a chance before I destroy it."

Clark felt the rage for this robot rise up in his system.

"Brainiac, you know what I can do. I'll give you one last chance. Give the people back," Clark demanded.

"Foolish, how you think you save this planet. Even with your abilities, you cannot stop me. The answer is no."

"Oh well, then."

Clark rushed at the big Brainiac robot. It instantly pulled out a sonic cannon out of it's right shoulder and fired it at Clark. It was one of the loudest things he had ever heard, and he was sure this would have killed a human. He covered his ears, grabbed the cannon, and crushed it. He then picked him up and slammed him into the ground.

Brainiac was ready for this. He got up and caught him. It was strong, really strong. How powerful were this thing's motors? It continued to push on Clark's arm, but Clark used his other arm to wrap around the neck. He flew up and slammed it back down.

While this was slowing him down, it wasn't causing any critical damage to Brainiac. Whatever the armor was made out of, it was durable. It shot lasers out of its head, which Clark countered with his own. A small explosion resulted from the collision the two beams, knocking both of the two projectors back.

"Stay down, Kal-El, and this will be a lot easier," said Brainiac.

"Don't waste your words."

"You will see this world burn."

Brainiac flew into Clark, sending him smashing through buildings. Clark was alive, at the very least. But he was stuck under the pile of rubble. He wondered what damage that had caused, and how many lives were lost already...

He then heard someone scream.

"Please, don't hurt us! PLEASE!"

Clark summoned all his might to get out of the rubble, and sped toward a sentry, blocking the shot that would've gone into a young woman's heart.

"How many people do you have to kill with your bare hands?" He shouted at the robot, a little ways away from him.

"I have no regard for any life other than who I was programmed by. You save them all you want, but each one you save, I will just kill another."

He then sent Brainiac flying into an IHOP. Clark up, flew toward a Seven Eleven, and threw him into it, causing in a massive explosion.

After the smoke cleared, Clark could see the robot in the ruins. That definitely cooked him a little bit. Brainiac then lunged at him, slamming him face down into the concrete. He did this over and over again, until Clark was almost knocked out.

Brainiac asked an interesting question. "I do not understand. I studied your body, and saw how much the sun has enhanced you. I know you are more powerful than this. Why are you holding back?"

Over the ringing in his ears, Clark thought about this for a minute. He never realized this before, but he was almost subconsciously not trying to use his full strength, not trying to break his limits. Why?

"You aren't willing to use your true power, are you? Never have I seen someone like you. So powerful, yet not wanting to accept it. Pathetic."

The robot gave one last slam to Clark.

He laid there for a few seconds, waiting to get stamina back. He looked over, and saw the tower energizing.

Clark sped over there and saw people about to get transported. Using his speed, he grabbed everyone two-by-two and got them a few yards away from the teleport radius.

"You're not abducting anyone else," said Clark before he lunged at Brainiac, sending them into the energized tower. He saw a flash of light and felt gravity dampen.

It was as though time was irrelevant. Energy was sparking all around Clark, and the only thing he could see was the Brainiac drone. Then, all at once, they landed on a metal surface.

Clark's mind came back to reality. He was confused. "Where are we?"

"In my ship. When you pushed me into the teleporter, we got transported to the ship," Brainiac replied.

Clark could now make it out: it was the same place as when he escaped. But that didn't matter, Clark had to stop him.

Clark attempted to strike Brainiac across the head with his fist, but was blocked. He felt dizzy.

"I assume you are feeling the after effects of telleportation. You see, the mind can't process it all. You will feel weak for a while."

Clark was now grabbing Brainiac's arm as Brainiac pulled his other robotic hand up, and a blade shot out of it. The blade came into Clark's neck. Blood spurted from it, but nothing fatal. He threw Brainiac across the room, as he was caught off guard.

The same shock cables from before were ejecting from the sides of the corridor and wrapping around Clark. The discharge then came, and it felt even worse than before. Brainiac then shot lasers from his shoulders, knocking Clark to the ground. Spikes ejected from his legs and he slammed them into Clark's face. Clark grabbed the leg and then threw Brainiac into the shock cables.

"This armor is nearly impenatrable. The way you're fighting, you cannot destroy me." said Brainiac.

Clark knew that nothing was impenetrable, but it sure seemed like it. No matter what Clark did to this thing, it wouldn't destroy it. Surely, there had to be a way. Then, Clark noticed the green shining from Brainiac's silver body. There seemed like there was some kind of core that was inside, if only Clark could get to it.

Brainiac came at Clark and hit him with enough force to bruise him. Clark countered this by grabbing around its neck and choking it. Clark pulled harder, and harder, and harder, but it wouldn't budge.

"I already said, Kal-El, you cannot destroy me," Brainiac said.

Then Clark remembered what he learned in science in high school… That things were more vulnerable when frozen. Remembering this, Clark cooled his breath, and breathed right on the Brainiac droid's neck, freezing it instantly.

Clark then pulled, pulled harder than he ever had. It still wasn't budging. Then an idea popped into his mind. He grabbed its head, and instead of pulling, twisted it using all his might, twisted it harder, and harder, until-

Crack!

Its head had snapped off. Clark could now see the insides of the robot, all of it too complicated for Clark to understand. He then saw the reactor. Clark fired up his eyes and shot straight into it. He was tknocked feet away by a huge explosion.

That droid was defeated, but that didn't stop Brainiac from progressing.

"I see I have run out of time. The reactor is almost done charging up. Fifteen minutes until world destruction."

Fifteen minutes. Clark was running out of time. He had to shut this ship down somehow. He looked around the ship. He saw the many rooms. Most of it seemed to be saved data, but some were physical relics. He kept moving.

Normal Brainiac drones continued to attack Clark, but he brushed them off as if they were flies. Clark wasn't holding himself back, he was going to save this planet. He navigated his way through Brainiac's ship as more reinforcements came, but then he stopped at one room.

The large room was filled with cryogenic chambers, each filled with bodies. There were dozens of them, rows of them. Clark looked around, until he saw it: Lois, asleep in containment.

How did she get herself abducted? Clark's only guess was that she was going to do a news report on it and got caught. But unfortunately Clark didn't have time to worry about this.

I'll get you guys safe, he thought. I promise.

Clark continued to look around the ship, and then he found the center.

He had no idea what a core powering an alien ship would be like. But it looked like a miniature star. If he destroys the core, the ship will shut down.

"You do realize that the core of this ship has the power of a small nuclear reactor this Earth? Destroying it would also take you with it," Brainiac's voice said. "I don't recommend you do that."

Clark didn't care. He wasn't afraid to give his life.

"Five minutes until destruction," Clark heard Brainiac say.

Clark shot a laser at it, but it seemed to be resistant to that. He had to get close to it and smash it somehow. He hurried over to the core, and Clark felt the most distressing feeling ever. Pressure was too high, as if the whole world was pressing down on Clark. He couldn't even get close to it because there was so much pressure. He tried again, but the same result happened. If he kept trying, he was sure to be dead. But he continued to do it anyway. Every atom in his body was feeling like it was being crushed. He stepped back again.

"One minute," said Brainiac.

Clark thought of two people sending their child to another planet, a couple finding a baby in a field, about that boy lifting a car, about him peeking at his Christmas gifts. Clark saw a young man saving people with his abilities, getting a job, making friends, fighting off a threat…

For his whole life Clark's parents had told him that he was going to do great things one day, and now he finally understood what that meant. Mustering all his might, Clark moved to the core and raised his arm.

He screamed right before he slammed his fist into the core.


	14. The Savior

**Chapter 14**

 **The Savior**

Clark was immobile, floating through the blackness of space. He was barely conscious, and was weak, very much so. He would be dead soon. But he had done it. He had saved humanity. And he was proud of himself for that.

In his dream, Clark envisioned Lois coming home to a cheering Earth, to all of her loving friends, except Clark. He then dreamt of Martha, lying over her husband's and her son's graves, wishing that she could only be with them. But the great thing was that everyone was happy and safe.

Clark, you still have more to do. This isn't your end.

It was, though. He had done his part.

You saved them, now what they need is you. Come back...

Clark then faintly remembered something: the ship, carrying all of the people Brainiac had abducted. It was falling, into the earth. He wanted more than anything to save the people, but there was nothing he could do now. He was floating there, and right when his dream started to dampen, the sun came out over the Earth, shining brightly on Clark.

Come back...

Clark instantly woke up after a few seconds of sunlight. He raced down to it as the ship fell. It had a huge whole in the center of it, and seemed shut down, but he somehow knew the people were still alive. He felt himself burning up, but it wasn't a concern. He continued to chase it as he drew level to it. He went under it, trying his best not to get crushed by the sheer force of it. He then pushed up against it, harder than he ever had before. They were still falling too fast. He pushed harder. They were nearing ten thousand feet from the earth's surface, and Clark could see the ground. He pushed even harder. He was right about to crash before he pushed harder and then-

He touched down, the weight pressing down on him. Every muscle in his body was straining. Blood was rushing, feeling a sense of strength he had never thought was possible. He stood there looking at the ground, balancing the weight of worlds on his shoulders. Slowly but surely, he set it down.

He took a deep breath of relief, getting a hold of himself. These people could keep their lives. He was thankful.

Clark then looked around him. He was in the ruins of a damaged Metropolis, buildings knocked over and flaming.

Clark felt his heart drop at the thought of the people he never saved, how many families had suffered a loss. For some reason, though he did not know why, he partially blamed himself for it. If he could have done something differently... He felt like he would never quite forgive himself for that.

After a few minutes, one-by-one people came out of the chamber, all looking stunned that they were still alive.

"What the-"

"What just happened?"

"Did he save us?"

"How are we still living?"

The voices of people continued as they came out. It seemed like when the ship exploded it deactivated the cryogenic chambers. Did that mean Brainiac was... gone?

At least for now.

Then, Clark saw the brown hair and green eyes come out of the chamber. She looked around, open-mouthed. She spotted Clark, and walked over to him.

"You-," Lois said. "A-are you the one who saved us?"

Clark nodded.

"I-I don't know what to say…"

A man with blond hair and shorts interjected. "Hey you! You're the one on the news! You're the alien guy!" he said. "You freak!"

Clark had learned by now to hold back when someone said something like this.

Another man came to him, stuttering at his words. "Th-thank y-y-you. You don't know..."

Clark didn't know how to respond.

"GET AWAY FROM THEM!" shouted someone.

Clark turned around. It was the military, dressed in camouflage and marching toward them. In the center of them stood a man who looked about sixty. Clark knew he must be a general.

"I SAID GET AWAY FROM THEM!" he cried.

"I'm not going to hurt them," said Clark.

"How do we know that?" asked the General. "You broke out of your contamination!"

"Please, just let me explain," Clark said. "I did it to stop Brainiac."

"General Collins, should we fire?" Clark heard one of the soldiers ask.

"Not yet," said Collins. He looked at Clark now. "Look at what you caused!"

Clark got an ashamed look. "I... I'm sorry. Please, I didn't mean to cause any destruction."

"Alright. What were you doing to these people?" General Collins asked.

It was then that a child, no more than six, talked. "He saved us!"

The general plainly ignored the boy. "Tell me, what were you doing to these people?"

"It's true. He caught this thing while it was falling. He saved all of our lives," said a teenage girl near the boy, who Clark assumed was his sister.

"How do we know that?" said Collins. "He is just someone who caught a plane out of the sky and said he was an alien! Seize him!"

Guns went up, ready to fire at Clark. He was about to shield his face, when the boy jumped in front of him.

"Don't shoot him!" the boy said.

"Step aside, child," said General Collins.

Then more people stepped in front of him, making a shield around Clark, all trying to protect their savior…

Clark was amazed at what he was seeing. All these people, who didn't know him the slightest, were standing in front of him, to protect him. It was as if he was the savior. But he didn't want that. He never did.

The general looked simply stunned. It was now that Clark decided to say something.

"Look, I'm here to help," he started. "But it has to be on my own terms."

"What if you turn on us one day?" Collins asked, "What happens then?"

It was painful just imagining that. "I don't know."

"Should we take him in?" asked a soldier.

"Not yet," Collins told him. "Why should we trust you?"

"Please, don't take me in. I don't want to hurt anyone. Can you let me be?"

Collins looked like he was going to say no. But then took a look at the fallen ship. He looked in horror.

"Are you the one that caught that?" He asked scarily. Clark nodded. Collins looked like he was about to break.

"Abort mission."

"But, sir-"

"I said, abort mission." He and the rest of the squad went off.

What had just happened? Had the military just spared him? What was more, though, was that people were shielding him. He didn't think most people were like that.

Clark realized something right then: now, people always focus on the evil in the world, and not the good. But there is more good than there is evil. The evil is much more overshadowing, he understood that. But the good is much more powerful. And when good comes together, great things can happen. He saw the light that moment.

He was about to go off. He didn't want to be here much longer. But Lois caught him off guard,

"I'm so sorry, um… Who are you?"

"I can't say."

"Oh, okay. Sorry. So, you're an… alien?" Lois asked.

"Yes."

"Do you by chance have a family?"

"Yes. I love them very much," Clark replied, thinking of Jonathan and Martha.

"Just h-how powerful are you?" She asked this in a shaky town.

Clark tried to think about that question. He had wondered that himself, especially recently. But he really didn't know. And the truth is, he didn't want to.

"I don't know."

Lois then finished, "I'm sorry. I just wanted to know more about you-"

"I know."

Clark was right about to take off before Lois stopped him one last time.

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"What does the S stand for?" asked Lois.

It took a moment before Clark realized what she was talking about. "It's not an S. On my planet it means hope."

"Oh. Okay. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

He flew away.


	15. Superman

**Chapter 15**

 **Superman**

 _Superman Saves the World from Extraterestrial Threat_

 _As many already know, over a month ago scientists found an unidentified structure in the Antarctic. A couple of weeks ago, a team from The Daily Planet traveled there in an effort to discover what it was. It appeared to be not of this Earth, and that was confirmed when what seemed to be alien droids attacked the reporters, taking one man, Clark Kent, hostage. The team then fled to safety, only to be assaulted by alien fighters._

 _Right as the attack was happening, a man in a blue and red costume arrived on the scene. This man had powers beyond what any person could do. He caught the plane out of the sky, after taking out the enemy fighters. The government then took hold of him and ran many tests on him. All of these tests found no known limit to his abilities. During a questioning, CEO of LexCorp, Alexander "Lex" Luthor, got much information out of him._

 _This man was an alien that came from the deceased planet Krypton, and sent to Earth as an infant. Apparently, the source of his powers is the sun's radiation, which mutates his cells to an extreme degree. What he refused to tell was his name, family, and where he comes from. We can only assume that he was doing this to protect his loved ones._

 _This man also tried to warn everyone of a threat. Apparently, a robot named "Brainiac" was the owner of the unidentified alien structure and the one that attacked the reporters. The man was also on the ship and spoke to Brainiac, and got to talk with it. He said that our world was a "threat" to him, that it is "powerful." Brainiac's plan was to energize a beam that would create a shockwave around the Earth, wiping out all life._

 _Brainiac then sent a message all over the world, demanding they give him their resources. This was only a decoy, as his plans to destroy the world did go forward, according to the alien and a structure planted in the Antarctic that scientists think was designed to do that._

 _The alien in the costume then asked to be let free, because he was supposedly the only one that could stop Brainiac. Without the government's approval, he escaped with ease. In the ruins of Metropolis, dozens of people, including myself, were being abducted by Brainiac. The man in the costume then raced and battled the robot across Metropolis, causing a much damage. The two were then seen teleporting somewhere. No more details were given after that, but we are left to assume the man shut down the ship. The people in the cryogenic chambers awoke immediately, and when they landed, they saw the costumed man. he had caught them out of the sky, just like he had caught the plane. The military tried to take him back in for further questioning and experimentation, but for some unknown reason they did not follow through._

 _I had a brief discussion with him myself. From what I can tell, he thinks and acts like any other person would._

 _Scientists then investigated the remains of the ship hours later and found many artifacts from what look like other worlds. Clark Kent was also found. He is now safe at home in Smallville, Kansas._

 _The media has officially named this alien man "Superman."_

 _Some people think that this man is a hero, for saving the entire planet. They feel he did not do it for glory, but because he could._

 _There are some, however, like Lex Luthor, that disagree. "I believe that this 'Superman' is a threat and needs to be closely regulated," he continued "what would happen if he one day turns on us?"_

 _Luthor is not the only one who thinks this way. Many people say that Superman needs to be brought down. Some are terrified at his power and the fact that there are aliens out there._

 _There are also people like Robert Johnson, a professor at the Science and Technology Advanced Research Laboratories. (S.T.A.R. Labs) He thinks this is a perfect opportunity for scientific advancement. "This is just amazing, knowing that we are not alone in this universe," he says. "This is astounding to scientists like myself."_

 _The President of the United States also had a statement. "We must not forget all of the lives that were lost in this world, as well as their suffering families," he said. "But whatever comes next, this man is a hero, and while that power may be very dangerous, we can just hope that he stays on our side."_

-Lois Lane

Clark had just finished reading this in the newspaper, munching on his toast. He had just got back from Brainiac's ship a week ago. He was just glad that the people got there to "rescue" him soon. But now he was back home, with his mother at the table.

Martha was speechless.

"Clark, you could never guess how proud I am of you," Martha said.

"I know," he answered. He was a bit annoyed at his mother's affection, but appreciated it.

"If only Jonathan could see what you have become."

The thought of Jonathan still stabbed Clark in the heart, even years later. Martha seemed to have seen the sad expression on Clark's face.

"I-I'm sorry Clark, I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," Clark said, trying his best not to make Martha feel bad. They changed subjects.

"I remember when we found you, and there was something uniquely special about you."

"Was it because I was in an alien pod?"

"No. It was something else. I couldn't put my finger on it though.

"I remember you had trouble growing up. But you got through it, didn't you?"

"I couldn't have done it without you," Clark said, and he meant it. Where would he be if it weren't for them?

"But it was you that was in the driver's seat.

"And now, look what you've become! A hero! I can see Superman saving people for years to come."

"Some people don't want that," said Clark. "Some people hate me."

"I know they're wrong to think that. You risked everything to save all of those lives. You don't understand how great of a deed that is."

Clark really didn't consider it a great deed. He thought he was just doing what anyone should do. But then he remembered the result of it.

"Mom, can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"They didn't say this in the newspaper. But I need to know. How many people died during the invasion? On a global scale?" He had been away for a few days, and doesn't have an answer for this. But even if he didn't like the answer, he wanted to know.

Martha sighed. "It's hard to pick an exact number. It happened all over the world, you know. It was in the ten thousands, according to most calculations."

Clark felt his heart drop. Tens of thousands of lives, dead,. He wondered if he had defeated Brainiac sooner, if there wouldn't have been that many lost. He partially wished he hadn't asked that.

"They died because of me," he said.

Martha seemed confused. "Clark, why is that the case?"

"I could have defeated Brainiac sooner. But for some reason, I... didn't." Clark thought about what Brainiac had said about him. He knew he had greater potential. "I held back. And I don't know why. It's like neglecting my own strength."

"Clark, you are not to blame. I know that you held back for a reason. And I do believe you tried your hardest. I know that for a fact." Martha continued. "But look what you did. You literally saved everyone on Earth! That is truly worthy of the title hero. Of the name Superman."

Clark sat there for a moment, thinking of what his mother just told him. He had saved the world. But he still felt a burden. He didn't express this anymore.

"What do you think about me doing all of these things?" He was curious as to what his mother's opinion was on this.

"Clark, you know how I feel." She sighed. "I love what you are doing, but I am worried about you. What if you don't come back one of these days?"

"Mom, I'll be fine. You can trust me," he assured her. "But what if they are right? What if I do go bad one day?"

"Clark, I know that whatever happens, that is impossible. Promise me to never put yourself down about this. Be their hero, Clark."

Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!

Clark got up, dreary-eyed. He took a shower, went downstairs, had a waffle, and left for work. It was just a typical day, except now the whole world knew that there was a Superman.

"Hey Clark!" "Welcome back!" "Nice to see you again!" said voices from all around the office. Clark was touched by how much he was missed but was too tired to show it.

He stepped into his office, where he started another story about the public's view on alien life. What had happened changed the world forever. The public now knew that there was life beyond the stars. And it was scary, very scary. How would some people be able to move on? Especially knowing how advanced some of them are? And if one world tried to destroy it, could others do the same? One thing was for sure: Earth was a different place now.

In the middle of writing this, Lois came up to him.

"Hey, Clark."

"Oh, hi, Lois," Clark said.

"Glad to see you're back."

"I'm glad to see you."

"I don't know what to say to you. You got captured by an alien..."

"So did you."

"Yes, but that was my fault. I was so eager to get a story on it." She looked at him more seriously now. "What was it like? On Brainiac's ship?"

Clark tried to think of an answer to this. "I… can't remember."

"Okay," Lois said. "What do you think about this Superman?"

It took a while for Clark to process this question. "Superman? Oh, I think he's a hero."

"So do I," said Lois, "Did you read my story on him?"

"I read a summary of it. It was very well written."

"Thanks," Lois stopped to think about what to say next. "Hey, Clark, do you want to discuss this later at dinner sometime?"

Clark's heart did a backflip. "Yes! Yes, of course! When?"

"I was thinking Friday at 7:00. Does that work for you?" Lois asked.

"Of course."

She walked off. Never has he seen someone like her in his whole life.

Clark then sat there at his computer, thinking about Friday night. Then he heard sirens, what seemed like fire sirens, going down Times Square.

"What's happening?" someone asked.

"There's a fire downtown," someone answered.

"HELP! PLEASE!" Clark heard someone cry. "HEEEEEELP!"

Clark Kent felt an obligation to do something about this. Sure, it was nothing major compared to the invasion, but he wanted to help in other ways. He might not ever be willing to forgive himself for the massacre, but that didn't stop him. Clark really hadn't changed at all, he was the same as he was. But he has now figured out who he really is, and what he is meant for.


End file.
